TL;DR: Dancing with the Stars Season 33 is a high-energy mix of Olympic inspiration, Disney-level production, and some truly questionable casting choices (looking at you, Anna Delvey). It’s generally a safe bet for a family binge-watch, but you’ll want to have the "skip" button ready for a few specific guest judge moments and some inevitable "who is that person?" conversations about reality TV fame.
Quick Links for the Family Binge:
- Where to watch: Disney+ or Hulu
- Top Performance to Search: Stephen Nedoroscik’s "Superman" routine
- The Winner: Joey Graziadei from The Bachelor
- The "Vibe" Alternative: If the reality drama is too much, try a family session of Stardew Valley for a lower-stakes bonding experience.
If you’ve been living under a rock (or just buried under a mountain of laundry), Dancing with the Stars is the long-running competition where celebrities—ranging from actual legends to "famous for being on a different reality show"—pair up with professional ballroom dancers.
Season 33, which originally aired in late 2024, was a bit of a cultural lightning rod. It leaned heavily into the post-2024 Paris Olympics glow, casting some of our favorite athletes, but it also tried to "spice things up" with a convicted con artist. It’s the kind of season that makes you realize how much the show has shifted from "ballroom technique" to "viral social media moments."
It’s easy to dismiss DWTS as "the show my mom watches," but Season 33 had some serious hooks for the younger crowd:
- The Olympic Heroes: If your kids spent the summer of '24 obsessed with the "Pommel Horse King" Stephen Nedoroscik or the powerhouse Ilona Maher, they will be locked in. These athletes bring a genuine "work hard, play hard" energy that is actually pretty great for kids to see.
- The Disney Connection: Chandler Kinney (from the Disney Channel’s Zombies franchise) was a frontrunner, bringing in the middle-school demographic who grew up watching her.
- The "TikTok-ability": The dances are short, flashy, and designed to be shared on TikTok. Your kids have likely already seen the highlights on their Reels or FYP.
- The Transformation: There’s something universally satisfying about watching someone go from "stiff as a board" to "doing a backflip in sequins" over the course of ten weeks.
Stephen is the definition of "wholesome." He wears his glasses, geeks out over Rubik's cubes, and then performs literal gymnastics on the dance floor. His partnership with Rylee Arnold (who is a Gen Z favorite on Instagram) made them the "people’s champions" of the season. Parent Tip: This is the storyline you want your kids to focus on. It’s about athleticism, humility, and being a "nerd" who wins.
Ilona is a rugby star who spent the season proving that you don’t have to be a "willow-thin" dancer to be graceful and powerful. Her presence on the show is a fantastic jumping-off point for conversations about body image and strength.
The eventual winners. Joey came from The Bachelor, and while the "Bachelor-to-DWTS" pipeline is well-worn, Joey actually had the skills to back it up. He’s likable, but you might find yourself explaining the concept of "dating 30 women at once" if your kids start Googling his backstory.
The technical powerhouses. If your kid is in dance classes, they will appreciate the precision here. Chandler was arguably the best dancer of the season, and her routines are pure art.
We’re Screenwise, so we aren’t going to pretend this season was all sunshine and rainbows. There were two major "yikes" moments that parents should know about before hitting play:
1. The Anna Delvey Situation
The show cast Anna Delvey (real name Anna Sorokin), the "fake heiress" who went to prison for grand larceny. She literally performed with a bedazzled ankle monitor. The Take: It felt like a cynical grab for ratings. If your kids ask who she is, you’ll have to explain that she’s famous for lying to people and stealing their money. If you want the full (and much more adult) story, you can check out Inventing Anna on Netflix, but that is not for the kids. In the context of DWTS, her attitude was... well, let's just say she wasn't there to make friends.
2. The Gene Simmons Guest Judge Disaster
During "Hair Metal Night," Gene Simmons from KISS was a guest judge, and it was... uncomfortable. He made several "creepy" comments about the female pros and contestants that felt totally out of sync with a modern family show. The Take: If you’re watching with daughters, be prepared to roll your eyes or explain why his comments were inappropriate. Honestly, it’s a segment you could easily skip without losing anything.
Ages 5-8: They’ll love the costumes, the "Disney Night" (Week 5), and the physical stunts. They won’t care about the judges' scores or the reality TV drama. Bluey is still the gold standard for this age, but DWTS is a fun "big kid" show they can watch with you.
Ages 9-12: This is the sweet spot. They’ll have opinions on the contestants, they’ll want to vote (though the live voting window is obviously closed for rewatches), and they’ll likely recognize the Disney and Olympic stars.
Ages 13+: They might find it "cringe," but they’ll still watch it if it’s on. This is where the Anna Delvey "fame vs. infamy" conversation becomes relevant.
Watching reality TV with your kids is actually a great way to "media-train" them without being preachy. Here are a few talking points for the commercial breaks:
- Constructive Criticism vs. Being Mean: The judges (Carrie Ann, Derek, and Bruno) usually do a good job of giving feedback. You can talk about how to take criticism and use it to get better—something Stephen Nedoroscik was great at.
- The Reality of "Reality": Talk about how the show edits things to create "drama." Is there really a rivalry, or did the producers just cut the clips to make it look that way?
- The Definition of a Role Model: Compare someone like Ilona Maher (who uses her platform for body positivity) to someone like Anna Delvey. Who do we want to give our "attention currency" to?
Dancing with the Stars Season 33 is a solid choice for a family night. It’s colorful, it celebrates hard work, and it’s one of the few shows left that three generations can actually enjoy together.
Yes, the Anna Delvey casting was a bit of a "monkey see, monkey do" move by the producers trying to chase viral clout, and Gene Simmons should probably stay in the '70s, but the heart of the show—the dancing and the personal growth—is still there.
Next Steps:
- Check the Wise Score: Head over to our media page for Dancing with the Stars to see how other parents in the Screenwise community rated this specific season.
- Plan a Disney Night: If you’re rewatching, make a big deal out of the Disney-themed episode. It’s consistently the most "brain-rot free" and magical night of the season.
- Ask our Chatbot: Still not sure if a specific contestant’s backstory is okay for your 10-year-old? Ask our chatbot for a deep dive on DWTS Season 33 cast history
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