It's finally time for the next round of shows to premiere, and with that round comes one of my favorites, 30 Rock, tonight...or today...if you watch it online at nbc.com ahead of time apparently. Don't get me wrong, I love being able to watch shows online after the fact in case you miss them. But, I'm not sure I like that you can now go online and watch shows early. It kind of takes some of the "thrill" out of premiere night. Plus, it's too much of a temptation to stray from your work duties. At least the early viewing is open to everyone...unlike with Friday Night Lights.

Hello, Turtledoves! We've reached that sparkling point of our favorite cheesy dancefest when the weaves drink Miracle Grow, the Lift Police chilax a bit, the costumes emerge in a special kind of gaudy  & the silver disco ball needs a spit shine. It's the halfway mark of Dancing With the Stars!

In an otherwise uninspired season (save for the kicky glitter-grafitti'd hair & make up) last night's eppy introduced four new dances never performed on the DWTS stage: The Hustle, The Jitterbug, Salsa, & West Coast Swing. Ok, now we're steppin!

The Hustle - Susan Lucci & Tony, Warren Sapp & Kym

Seriously, who does Ms. Lucci's partner treat her like an unwrapped First Edition Barbie? This is by no means an endorsement, but if Cloris Leachman can get flung, stretched & borderline elderly abused on the dance-floor, by golly Ms. Kan-I mean, Lucci can get some fire underneath that gold fringe. Warren Sapp was truly made for this style of dance. Both parties integrated technique that was on the mark for this disco-inspired funky treat, but I preferred Team Sapp's faster version rather than La Lucci's slow homage to Studio 54.

Salsa - Maurice Green & Cheryl, Cloris Leachman & Corky

Really now? America has let Ms. Leachman actually stick around long enough to pull out some decent dance moves & climb to the middle of the pack. Her grandmotherly hotness however is still creepy. That is all. Maurice & Cheryl's behind the scenes smackdown (in which she called our Olympian lazy) was a highlight for me because in the end he rocked the house, earning his highest scores. Tough love. Mean Cheryl. Both teams infused fun & likeability into the routines so I give them props for not forcing me to channel surf.

West Coast Swing - Lance Bass & Lacey, Toni Braxton & Alec

Note to Lacey: You were called out on So You Think You Can Dance for the exact same show boating over your partner that the judges checked you on tonight so don't play that "I'm the new kid" card with us, missy! That said, Lacey is a West Coast Swing Champ which in all fairness does tend to lean toward spinning & throwing ladies here & about. Though she's precise bomb that she is, Lance was more of her tool this evening. I mean that in a nice way. And the always gorgeous Ms. Braxton is breaking my heart because her dancing is coming off like an almost clean wipe off board. I'm afraid she's in trouble this week. Not to mention clueless Alec gave her nothing that really resembled the style to me.

The Jitterbug - Brooke Burke & Derek, Cody Linley & Julianne

OMG: I am so a fan of this style after tonite! Never have I been a fan of this (unless of course I am watching Jimmy Stewart & Donna Reed kick it up in "It's A Wonderful Life.") But the Hough siblings both pulled out some fancy moves that had me smiling. What got me was both were so unfamiliar with this style that Derek had to print out directions from the Internet (which was such a set up because why wouldn't he just watch a You Tube clip? And what was up with the half pony tail in practice? I digress). The technique was spot on, the tricks were plenty. Even though Team Burke scored higher points, our hometown dance king Linley had much more charm, charisma & laughs as Ricky & Lucy - whom happen to be this dancer's favorite TV couple of all time.

Dallas: Cody has broken out to the top of the pack!!!! Here's hoping he stays there.

What do you think, bangle bracelets? Does Cody have what it takes to go all the way? Are you scared Cloris has done well enough to stick around ANOTHER week? Who won the Jitterbug dance off for real? Wasn't it a trip to see the pros off their games with styles foreign to them?

And finally....who's already prepared for Christmas & can you help a sister out?

Good gravy, Texas Toast-muffins.....Cloris Leachman is STILL in the Dancing With the Stars Ballroom.

Oh blessed TV Producers that be: why must thou forsake us?

After an hour of being subjected to much filler, cheesy fodder and shirtless faux Riverdance wonderments, the good news is that Texas' Cody Linley is hanging tough & gaining ground each week. His interview packages reflect a kid straight out of high school PE, but when he leads his partner Julianne Hough on the dance floor, he is a poised picture of confidence, growing dance skill and charm. (It was good to see his high school principal put him in check for too much horseplay. Where's there's sequins, there's seriousness!)

He's a true gentleman.

But back to Cloris.

I am by no means a gammy-hater. I have two of them. But Brooke Burke (seemingly poised for the big win this season) is so skilled & adept at ballroom body speak, it just seems pointless to have our fair Mrs. Garret's Unnecessary Replacement in the mix. You know it's a lackluster week of competition when Ms. Leachman posted some of the highest scores in the bunch. (I know, right?!)

Next week, one word: The Hustle. Ok - that would be two words.

One of three new styles being introduced in ballroom leaves me to wonder if So You Think You Can Dance is missing a page in their playbook.

I am stoked.

Most headlines today noted the "surprise" elimination of one of the show's not-so-well-versed-in-ballroom contestants. I say - not hardly. Yesterday, I bet that after a bloated hour of filler, fluff & sequins, Kim Kardashian would be sent packing from the dancefest. It wasn't hard to see that her lack of charisma, personality and let's face it - any semblance to dance whatsoever, would get her the boot pretty quickly from an otherwise entertaining cast.

Dallas actor Cody Linley is sitting pretty in the middle of the pack, poised to take a spot. His maturity in ballroom is pretty impressive. With some more polish on his footwork, he'll be a strong contender with two-time champ Julianne Hough.

One week closer to crowning another dance king, as the quest for the elusive silver disco ball continues.....

Am I deceived? Will this be an abbreviated season of Dancing With the Stars, my little Leotards? Because with the early of appearance of the glitter fests' two most challenging genres (Saucy Rumba & Fiery Paso Doble) either the strong will survive, or the musicality-challenged will persevere!

Center Stage: Brooke Burke is truly the only star to bring it so far this season technically while delivering the most dazzling of performances. Her lines are exquisite, and an almost expert take on the fierce Paso Doble belied her sweet demeanor. Other front runners include crowd favorite (as well as dancergirl here) the light on his feet & completely awesome Warren Sapp, who finally got to wear his sequins. Toni Braxton also delivered the goods with a romantic Rumba, and Misty May-Treanor who actually needs to take some of the edge from her sharp movements to make her dancing more fluid. This week, however, it worked for the attack-style Paso Doble.

Call Backs: Our very own Cody Linley leads this pack with handsome looks and very solid Rumba. Cody's dancing personality is fresh, he pays attention to detail with his frame & he's just so darn adorable as he attempts to grow into his "manliness" on the floor. Keep rooting for him; he's a natural dancer. Lance will have a better chance if his partner, Lacey, would cease her quest to change the world of ballroom so drastically that she loses basic steps that should be included. Loved her (a little) on So You Think You Can Dance but here, she must remember it's her partner's quest for the disco ball at stake, not hers. Susan Lucci also deserves a call back because, well - she's Erica Cane. And gorgeous in that Princess Jasmine ensemble she totally rocked this week.

Hang Your Legwarmers: Rocco, Kim & Cloris. Any of these guys could exit stage left after the second round eliminations. (Technically the third?) All are lacking in finesse, ballroom personality & technique. My bet is Kim will be left to rent Saturday Night Fever after a cold Rumba this week, wondering where she went wrong.

What do you think, Dallas? Isn't Cody making us proud? Don't you think he has a good shot at creeping up to the top of the heap? Is four days long enough to learn a difficult routine? (YES, I say!) And finally, doesn't his stint on DWTS give you hope that he has a career beyond High School Musical: The Glory Years?