Dancing with the Stars is heading into a crucial time in its existence. Will it continue the trend of gimmicky reality shows that flame out quickly after initial, massive success? Or will it follow in the way of a show like Survivor, who survived the initial hype and has become a stalwart on prime time TV for almost a decade. Dancing with the Stars enjoyed its highest rated season this past Fall in its short lived existence, but I would argue that the direction it takes moving forward from the Fall is as important for its future as any other move the show has ever made.

With its increased clout and visibility in the media, the producers have to be licking their chops. What big names can they get to appear on the show? If the show wants to make the leap to a truly elite, long-standing program, now is the time to steal away some bigger names to compete on the national stage. They've already asked Jennifer Aniston and Reggie Miller, who both turned them down, but this shows the kind of scope the Dancing with the Stars producers are aiming for.

I wouldn't be surprised if there were some major casting coups going into the Spring season. They've surprised before and, just like the BuddyTV articles says, it may be decision time for the producers. Do they stick with a working formula and type cast B and C-listers in roles inhabited by previous contestants? Or, do they grow and evolve, unafraid of changing the show's dynamic. We'll see next month.