Musicians? We don’t need no stinkin’ musicians!

‘Dancing With the Stars’ drops band

You’ve heard the last of the Harold Wheeler Orchestra and Singers on “Dancing With the Stars.”

BBC Worldwide Productions and ABC have issued this statement: “Our talented band leader and composer, Harold Wheeler, will not be joining us for season 18 of ‘Dancing with the Stars.’ […]

So what happened? The American Federation of Musicians has blasted ABC for firing the band.

The federation says in a letter: “After 17 hit seasons performing on one of the world’s most popular TV programs, ‘Dancing with the Stars’ (DWTS), the 28 men and women of the show’s live backing band — the Harold Wheeler Orchestra and Singers — have been fired. Producers say the group will be replaced with pre-existing sound recordings and a ‘small electric band’ to ‘attract a younger demographic.’ “

[…]

The federation cited executive changes at ABC and said the network put “pressure on ‘DWTS’ producer BBC America to cut corners and pander to a younger viewing audience.”

The federation leveled scorn at ABC and parent Walt Disney Co.

“It’s not like ABC and Disney don’t have any money and can’t afford an orchestra,” Hair said in the letter. “It’s about the insatiable thirst for profits at the expense of music, art, and those who create it. Firing the band, using recordings, and hiring fewer musicians won’t boost ratings. It will kill the show.”

Big bands are quite an anomaly these days in American TV. I suppose I’m not surprised by this. ABC must really be trying to push every penny out of costs. DWTS has gone downhill quite a bit, IMO, from the original version. Disney/ABC really can’t handle the original BBC version, which I’ve attributed to American audiences not wanting to “go on the journey” as head judge Len Goodman always bragged, but rather want instant gratification (and thus the much shorter seasons.)

Oh well, who needs musicians anyway?