Justin Bieber and his longtime choreographer, Nick DeMoura, helped kick off Season 11 of FOX’s two-hour So You Think You Can Dance premiere last night, and the viewing figures are in.
According to Deadline , the show averaged 5.3 million viewers, which is a “4% uptick from last year.”
The trade notes that although the 18-49 adults slot drew a 1.6 % rating – which is a slip of 16% from last season’s premiere – it was still the highest 18-49 grab on FOX this week.
During the premiere, Bieber and DeMoura only appeared for four minutes in the last quarter of the show and then right at the end.
But, it seems those four minutes and few seconds may have made all the difference to the ratings-challenged show, as Bieber fans likely tuned in on Wednesday night.
Thank you to you all. FOX’s Season Premiere Of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE (4.0/6) Up Vs. Year-Ago Season Premiere (3.8/6)
— Nigel Lythgoe (@dizzyfeet) May 29, 2014
Justin Bieber fans had to wait one hour and twenty minutes before they got a glimpse of the 20-year-old singer, but that’s standard for any carrot and stick element in any show.
Wisely steering clear of his penchant for leather garb, when Bieber eventually came on with DeMoura they bantered about who was the better performer then explained the dance crews twist.
As reported, for the first time in So You Think You Can Dance’s history, dance crews share a little of the competition’s shine. The prize is the chance to perform in the show’s finale.
Viewers vote on Twitter with a hastag for whichever of the two crews they prefer.
The first two dance crews appeared last night in pre-recorded bites introduced by Nick and Justin, who will return for three segments and most likely the finale.
HitFix reports some So You Think You Can Dance purists weren’t happy with the new twist to the show, mostly because they think it pulls focus from unknown dancers, and there were some angry comments aimed at executive producer/judge Nigel Lythgoe’s Twitter when he started live tweeting the East Coast.
Although some saw the value of the Bieber factor .
not watching a show that you say you love while Bieber is on it, before even seeing how good his section is seems crazy to me! What a shame! — Nigel Lythgoe (@dizzyfeet) May 28, 2014
RT @LJSmart : @dizzyfeet I am definitely not a Bieber fan, but I hope he brings in new viewers! (Smart by name, smart by nature.)
— Nigel Lythgoe (@dizzyfeet) May 28, 2014
But, as HitFix point out, if you’re a fan of So You Think You Can Dance , anything that can bring in more eyeballs and keep it on-air should be welcomed.
In addition, DeMoura has an impressive choreography background, while Bieber has been popping, locking and dougieing since he began performing professionally in 2008.
Last night’s crews were Syncopated Ladies, an all-female, tap dancing crew, and Poreotics,’ a robotics crew.
Neither were overly impressive, and it remains to be seen if the crews to come will raise the bar.
Meanwhile, in the rest of the premiere, judges Wayne Brady, Jenna Elfman joined Lythgoe and Mary Murphy from New Orleans and Chicago.
While some of the auditions were terrific , our big favorite was Megan Marcano. Self-raised since 12, she delivered a compelling performance.
If you watched last night how was the Season 11 kick-off for you? Did it make you want to prance and dance yourself? Did you like the new dance crew segment with Justin and Nick?
And, most importantly, will you be tuning in next week for So You Think You Can Dance?
Let us know in the comments!