Is 'America's Favorite Dancer' Voting Fair In Season 17 of 'So You Think You Can Dance?'

The Season 17 premiere of So You Think You Can Dance came back in May after a break of nearly two years, but the show wasn't the same as it was in September when fans last saw it. Leah Remini replaced Matthew Morrison, after the judge, Stephen "tWitch" Boss, replaced Mary Murphy, Mary Murphy, and Laurieann Gibson. Cat Deeley was the host. Although the change in judges might not be the biggest shift, it is still evident by this point in Season 17 that it is not going to be the most significant shift. Considering this year's "America's Favorite Dancer", what is the most likely game-changer? It's the audience vote. Studio audience votes, more specifically. The studio audience at SYTYCD will be able to vote for who should stay in the competition and remain eligible for the title of "America's Favorite Dancer" for the first time. This format is similar to that of television shows like American Idol and American Got Talent, which makes SYTYCD fandom interactive and ensures that the winner truly earned the title. 

Is it accurate to say that America's Favorite Dancer this year comes from only the studio audience as opposed to the voting system in the first sixteen seasons? Although I wasn't convinced of the change in voting when it was announced, The Masked Singer proved that selecting winners by studio audience votes worked well enough, and the pandemic production challenges may have had something to do with SYTYCD's new format. Besides American Idol and America's Got Talent, other shows like SYTYCD have also gone back to how viewers vote from home, and even another dancing show like Dancing with the Stars has hit the normal levels as judge JoJo Siwa attests! Having watched some episodes of the new voting system, I've already decided that I'm not the biggest fan of only the studio audience voting. In any case, this isn't The Masked Singer, and when the winner of the Title of "America's Favorite Dancer" is up for grabs, it seems like more people should be eligible to vote. 

Since the show returned after its extended hiatus, Season 17 has been pretty divisive overall. New judge Leah Remini has been criticized by viewers after her appointment replacing Matthew Morrison, although fellow judges tWitch and Siwa have praised her. The former Dance Moms star also answered questions about her dancing abilities and dropped a truth bomb.  After appearing on the show as a dancer, tWitch is the only judge on Season 17 with actual SYTYCD experience. The fact that fans have had some strong opinions about the show after all the changes in the season preceding the 300th episode when the vote will be in-studio instead of from home is not surprising. I will wait and see how the rest of the season goes, and if the show is renewed for Season 18 if any changes will be made. The 2022 TV premiere schedule includes Wednesdays at 9 p.m. Eastern Time. Check out new episodes of So You Think You Can Dance every Wednesday. As of the latest episode, there are eight remaining dancers, and they are competing fiercely.