The good news is that “So You Think You Can Dance” – one of the best of the summer shows – will finally be back.
In fact, it won’t even wait until summer. It starts its 17th season at 9 p.m. May 18 on Fox, right after the season-finale of “The Masked Singer.”
And the bad? Nigel Lythgoe won’t be back as one of the judges.
Lythgoe co-created “Dance” (shown here in a previous season) and was a judge each year, giving it a sturdiness that others lacked. “Dance” missed two summers during the pandemic and now returns without him.
Cat Deely will return as host and the judges will be likable sorts. There’s Stephen “tWitch” Boss – who was discovered as a “So You Think You Can Dance” contestant. And Matthew Morrison, a Tony-winner who was a Fox favorite as the “Glee” teacher. And JoJo Siwa, the Internet star.
Siwa turns 19 the day after the season opens — still leaving her 52 years younger than Lythgoe.