May 26, 2011

Dance fans will be pleased to know that So You Think You Can Dance returns tonight for its eighth season. It has been almost a full year since the series last crowned champion Lauren Froderman as "America's Best Dancer", which is the longest break the show has taken since its fourth season.

The show is tweaking its formula once again in Season 8, after the significant change last season where "all-star" dancers were brought in to partner with the Top 11 amateurs. New "all-stars" will again be included this season, but won't make an appearance right away. The competition will instead return to a Top 20 format, with the "all-stars" being brought in once the show reaches its Top 10.

On the judging front, Mary Murphy will be returning to the show after taking time off to deal with health issues. Her replacement, Mia Michaels, will not be returning. Mary will join Nigel Lythgoe on the panel, with the third seat being filled by a rotating guest judge.

You can catch Season 8 of So You Think You Can Dance tonight at 8:00pm ET/PT on Fox.