Ready to Waltz with Alley on "Dancing with the Stars"

It's still too early for me to care about "American Idol," but for some reason I'm all about "Dancing with the Stars" this season. I can't wait to see what Kristie Alley (bellow, with her partner Maksim Chmerkovskiye) have cooked up tonight.

I'm also looking forward to the train wreck that is certain to be Ms. Wendy Williams. Which dance partners are you looking forward to? I'm all ears...

'Dancing with the Stars' debut fizzles more than sizzles

Is it too late to recruit controversial Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker?
ABC's hit celebrity dance competition returned for a 12th season Monday without a polarizing political figure and I can't be the only one to notice the absence of any politicos or Washington beltway figures. Was Helen Thomas not available? I think the White House Press Corp vet is probably light on her feet. But I digress.
No one goes home this week, but that doesn't mean I can't still dish on the highs and (many) lows of the evening.

Tops of the evening?
The "Karate Kid" Ralph Macchio was king of the fox trot with his partner Karina Smirnoff. The baby-faced 49 year-old Macchio was dashing in a Fred Astaire-cum-Ray Romano kind of way.

Judge Carrie Ann Inaba summed things up best when she said "Wow, Ralph. That was an amazing surprise."

The pair drew the top score of the night, 24. 







Though others have been calling 60 year-old Kristie Alley this year's underdog, anyone who has watched her post-"Cheers" career (Jenny Craig commercials, "Fat Actress," etc.) knows she often comes across as a very likable scene-stealer. Such was the case Monday night with her cha-cha with her professional dance partner Maksim Chmerkovskiye. "Stars" judge Bruno Tonioli called it the best cha cha of the night.The pair scored a 23.

Alley also scored the best quip of the night; "If someone told me to haul ass, it would take two trips," she said during the rehearsal segment. I. Love. Her.

So, who sucked? I predict that America won't have too many weeks to wonder "Who?" when it comes to "Loveline" co-host Mike Catherwood.

He and dance partner Lacey Schwimmer scored a 13 for a clunky foxtrot.

"Dancing is movement to music," explained judge Len Goodman. "You did move and there was music, but there was very little dance quality about it."

Ouch!

While Catherwood should coast on his good looks for a couple of weeks, he's going to need to step up his game if he wants to last longer than that.

So, who do you think will be first to waltz off the celebrity dance floor? I'm all ears...