Fox Takes Another Trip Around the ‘Dance’ Floor

By Josef Adalian

Fox is planning another trip on the hot tamale train, ordering up a fifth season of “So You Think You Can Dance.”

The renewal comes as no surprise: “Dance” has become a summer staple for Fox, not unlike “Big Brother” on CBS. Summer-to-date, the series is among the five most-watched shows in both adults 18 to 49 and 18 to 34.

It’s been a tough summer for many new and returning reality shows. Former NBC hits “Last Comic Standing” and “American Gladiators” have taken major tumbles, though “America’s Got Talent” remains a hit.

“Big Brother” is holding its own on CBS, but the network’s canine competition “America’s Greatest Dog” has proven to be more bark than bite in the ratings.

In a sign of how tough things have been in reality this summer, a recent episode of “Dog” tied for the time-slot lead—but with a paltry 1.5 rating in the adults 18-49 demographic. That has been enough for CBS to advertise the show as a “hit.”

ABC has launched the smash hit of the summer with “Wipeout,” while “I Survived a Japanese Game Show” has held on. A revival of “The Mole” has struggled a bit, but has demonstrated strength in the hard-to-get adults 18-34 demo. “The Mole” also ranks among the 10 shows most digitally recorded on TV this summer, adding 21% more adults 18-49 viewers when all same-week viewing (aka live-plus-seven) is calculated.

As for “Dance,” it has never come close to matching the popularity of “Idol,” but it has become a mild cultural phenom, thanks in part to vocal judge Mary Murphy. Ms. Murphy is known for her loud screams, over-the-top laugh and catchphrases such as “the hot tamale train.”

“Fox is very lucky to have television’s preeminent performance competitions in ‘American Idol’ and ‘So You Think You Can Dance,’” said Mike Darnell, president of alternative entertainment at Fox. “It’s no coincidence that creator and executive producer Simon Fuller and executive producer and judge Nigel Lythgoe have been a part of both these successes.”

The series is produced by 19 Entertainment and Dick Clark Productions. Its fourth-season finale airs Aug. 7 at 8 p.m. Mr. Fuller, Mr. Lythgoe and Barry Adelman are executive producers.