Cloris Leachman - Season 7

[fanofthegame]

She is ruining this season of DWTS for me!! I hope she goes next week.....

[Google]

 

[karalott]

Take this article for what it's worth (since we know how it is when people only quote unnamed insiders), but thought it was an interesting read about how the staffers are fed up with Cloris (though I'm sure next season they'll cast another one just like her):

Sick of Cloris' shtick :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Bill Zwecker

Sick of Cloris' shtick
'Dancing' staffers joke it must be rival TV network execs voting for Leachman 'to try to wreck the show'

October 23, 2008

BY BILL ZWECKER Sun-Times Columnist

While there's been lots of buzz about Cloris Leachman generated by Sun-Times colleague Miriam DiNunzio's ''Dancing With the Stars'' posts on the TV blog on our Web site, I can tell you first-hand there's even more controversy behind-the-scenes on the Hollywood set of the hit ABC show.

It's not merely that everyone there is astonished the 82-year-old Chicago native has survived in the competition this long -- it's her over-the-top brassiness and in-your-face humor that has everyone upset.

"We expect Cloris Leachman to maybe make it through one or two weeks," says an exasperated "Dancing with the Stars" staffer.

''We thought it would be fun to have Cloris on ... and expected her to maybe make it through one or two weeks. But now it's gone from people being amused -- similar to the way it was with Jerry Springer -- to being downright concerned,'' said a staffer who has been with ''Dancing With the Stars'' since the beginning.

This source said "Dancing" competitor Susan Lucci is "fit to be tied. She is working so hard and is outraged that others have been eliminated who are far better than Cloris. It's all about her obnoxious schtick. ... There are deep concerns that people are going to tune out, thinking this has become a big joke and not the serious though entertaining dance competition it's supposed to be.

''Everyone assumed it would be Cloris and not Toni Braxton who would be eliminated [Tuesday],'' added the source. ''There was even some gallows humor going around today. ... People joked it must be a whole lot of CBS, NBC and Fox executives getting everyone they know to vote for Cloris -- to try and wreck the show,'' the staffer said with a rueful laugh.

• Along with all of the judges, show co-host Samantha Harris is said to be ''sick and tired'' of Cloris and ''her attempts to dominate everything,'' said my source. It even was evident when Harris snapped at Leachman to get away from the kids who had just danced in a junior competition on the show Tuesday night. ''After we were off the air, Samantha, Susan and a lot of others were saying they had had it with Cloris.''

• That wasn't the only drama Tuesday. After the broadcast, veteran professional dancer Julianne Hough was rushed to the hospital complaining of stomach pains. Fortunately, she was released and is on the mend.

• It's not because he's sick of Leachman, but judge Len Goodman needed a break, so Chicago native and ''Lord of the Dance'' star Michael Flatley will fill in for him next week. Goodman is scheduled back the following week.

Samantha has never bugged me the way she has a lot of viewers, but I have to say Cloris is really make her look even worse than usual by constantly cutting her off and butting in on other interviews. I wish they'd tell Cloris to cut that off, because that's her worst offense (especially the kids). Samantha can never think of the right thing to say to her to put her in her place.

[Blues Songstres]

Samantha can't usually come up with the words she needs to say anything with any grace and tact. Why would this be any different?

[aname2]

Originally Posted by Blues Songstres

Samantha can't usually come up with the words she needs to say anything with any grace and tact. Why would this be any different?

Amen to that! Samantha is the most boring "host" on TV. She cannot ad lib at all and even has a hard time reading the prompter. Why on earth is she one of the hosts. Between Samantha and Cloris, this season is proving to be a real mis-step in every way.

[Tobi]

I can only think that the producers are pushing this. Are they saying they can't control someone on the show? I think they were allowing even pushing it but now maybe they realize like most of us viewers that this show has jumped the shark. They didn't need a gimmick but brought one in anyway. They have fallen on their sword for no good reason.....

[martythyme]

I love Cloris Leachman. She was great in Young Frankenstein. I'd like to see more comedians on the show. While watching Kath and Kim I was thinking that Molly Shannon would be perfect on DWTS. She'd be able to work the sequins.

[RBmumsie]

I'm loving Cloris AND her antics, too. I think those 82 year old gams are working pretty hard to keep up with Corky.

And, I KNOW that I'm not the only one enjoying Cloris - she gets standing ovations, the judges gush at her and the other contestants are applauding her efforts - you can SEE them behind her in the red room.

This is NOT a "serious" dancing competition. This is a combination of dancing/entertainment/popularity competition.

[Veruka]

Originally Posted by RBmumsie

I'm loving Cloris AND her antics, too. I think those 82 year old gams are working pretty hard to keep up with Corky.

And, I KNOW that I'm not the only one enjoying Cloris - she gets standing ovations, the judges gush at her and the other contestants are applauding her efforts - you can SEE them behind her in the red room.

This is NOT a "serious" dancing competition. This is a combination of dancing/entertainment/popularity competition.

You are not the only one. I really enjoy her too. Last week, I even used all my votes on her. When she's on the screen, I smile. So I give her credit for that and really enjoy her. I don't expect her to win the whole thing, but I'm glad she's there right now. If any of the other dancers performed in a way that made me say "Wow! That deserves votes!" I'd vote for them. But last week, they didn't and Cloris had me smiling the entire time she was on. In my book, that accounts for something.

[lildago]

If this were The Last Comic Standing, I could agree with you. It's not. And while this isn't a "serious" dancing competition(though I think some of the pros would disagree), it is a dancing competition. Scoring her as high as some of the others who are actually dancing is an insult to their efforts.

[mbcrowder]

It's two things that kill me about Cloris. 1) the ridiculously unfair scoring. I understand the sympathy scores at the beginning. But to score her dances in the past 4 weeks as equal to ANYONE else's is patently unfair to the rest of the cast. 2) the constant interrupting in interviews and critique, piqued to a head when she felt the need to steal the 8 seconds of fame from TEN YEAR OLDS. I went from dislike to active hatred for her at that moment.