Looks like they're borrowing a page from STYCD to keep the better dancers around longer:

Due to all the criticism the show has received for previous seasons, in which talented celebrity dancers were eliminated before, well, not-so-stellar but highly popular contestants, "Dancing With the Stars" has decided to switch things up this season.

For the next three weeks, the bottom two stars, as voted by the people at home, will have one final dance-off to prove their skills to the judges. From there, the judges decide which star will be going home.

It also means less useless filler.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/03/dancing-with-the-stars-elimination-jack-wagner-eliminated_n_1401365.html

• RE: Elimination process changed,qwertypie, 12:47 PM, 04-04-12
  • RE: Elimination process changed,Round Robin, 02:13 AM, 04-05-12
  • RE: Elimination process changed,Loree, 09:24 PM, 04-06-12

LAST EDITED ON 04-04-12 AT 07:32 PM (EST)

Not in favour of this at all. Just another way to protect their chosen ones (you can bet the models, kardasians, Heather Mills of the series will be protected for a lot longer than the audience can tolerate). I understand the judges final pick for SYTYCD, where the people are dancers and future careers are on the line, or the powers that be need to protect a certain genre of dance , but it's not a good thing for DWTS.

ETA Less filler is great, but then again, we'd have to listen to the band murder the two songs again.

They did something similar to this a few seasons ago, in which the bottom 2 had a danceoff on the results show and got to keep the higher score. Don't remember it making that much difference, though. This could be the tool they use to shove it up Urkel's a$$ for being a jerk to Kym.

I don't like it because it is giving the judges more power. And they have proven they can not be trusted to be fair. They have their faves just like the fans. I assume their faves are not pulling in the votes they want. So this will help them protect them while getting rid of those they want off. It reminds me of when they changed the rules to protect Chelsea and Mark. Maybe Katherine is not bringing in the votes this season.