While execs at the Fox network long ago learned that people have a strong desire to watch shows aimed at an audience of gore-hound rubberneckers (think, America's Most Shocking And Deadly High-Speed Rollover Accidents Part Six), the folks at the more family friendly American Broadcasting Channel rolled the dice when they cast the last season of Dancing With The Stars. Their bet was that they could appeal to an under-exploited niche of the American television viewing audience by casting a one-legged former trophy wife of a Beatle. After all, would people really tune in to see whether or not she would fall on her arse while doing the Cha-Cha? Not surprisingly, they did tune in ... in droves, even. So when it came time for this season to roll around, producers decided to go right back to the developmentally-challenged well when they decided to cast the hearing-impaired Oscar winner (and stone fox) Marlee Matlin.

And wouldn't you know it, their promos for the show are crassly geared to let everyone out there in TV Land know that they should tune in to see whether or not a deaf woman can rumba when she "CAN'T HEAR THE MUSIC" (their words, not ours)! Kudos, ABC, kudos. We didn't think you'd dare go there, but of course, you did. [ABC]

Tags: abc | dancing with the stars | marlee matlin