The 2005 premier for "Dancing With the Stars" garnered a huge 5.1 rating in the 18-49 age demographic (who TV advertisers target) with 16.799 million viewers. The show has been on for 27 season and, as can occur with any show, the ratings have dropped down during its last few years.

Despite "Dancing With the Stars" obtaining Emmys in 2017 for Lighting Design/Direction for a Variety Series (Simon Miles, Suzanne Sotelo, Matthew Cotter and others) and Choreography (Derek Hough and Mandy Moore), the ratings haven't correlated with those achievements. 

Sean Spicer — former White House Press Secretary for President Donald Trump — was cast in the show's 2019 premiere to boost ratings but that resulted in ratings of 1. Arguably, castmates like Spicer or Hannah Brown — a former Miss Alabama and contestant on "The Bachelorette" — didn't have enough star power to draw viewers in. It seems like A-Listers just weren't interested in competing for the Mirrorball trophy.

Another obstacle for ratings is competition from other dance programs like "World of Dance" — hosted by Jennifer Lopez, Derek Hough and Ne-yo — that is also vying for viewers in the same 18-49 demographic. Although "World of Dance" had low ratings last season, it still takes away potential viewers from shows like "DWTS" or "So You Think You Can Dance." 

I like Tom Bergeron. The 65-year-old comedian is always a class act. Was this decision to replace him a case of ageism? I think it might be, but wrongful termination cases based on age can be hard to prove. Maybe that's why ABC fired Erin Andrews, 42, at the same time. Still, I don't think younger viewers will be drawn to the show even with a new host.

Cleaning the house is not always the answer. A revamp of the format was needed. However, the host weren't the problem, the content was. 

I think people, especially younger viewers, were simply burned out from watching the same predictable crankiness of Judge Len Goodman, the flamboyance of Judge Bruno Tonioli and the heart-on-the-sleeve persona of Judge Carrie Ann Inaba. The temperamental interactions between guests, judges and choreographers like Maksim Chmerkovskiy also got stale.

Tyra Banks, the 46-year-old model who hosted "America's Got Talent," will be replace Bergeron and Andrews. In spite of Bank's likability, "America's Got Talent" still suffered from low ratings. Banks has said she wants to produce. The "DWTS" gig will give her that opportunity and will likely save the network money by paying one rather than two emcees.

Was it a rush in judgement to axe the current hosts? I think so. I'm convinced booking more well-known competitors and freshening up the format would have made a world of difference rather than firing the current hosts. Always classy, Bergeron said he is "grateful" he had the opportunity to host "DWTS."

Time will tell, but maybe the show has simply run its course.