Dancing With the Stars kicks off new season

CINCINNATI - I'm so excited about this season of DWTS that I should be embarrassed. The only thing that would make this season better is Mel B. Where are you, Mel B .??! Spice Girls reunion, anyone?

And poor Joey Fatone... he lost to Apollo Anton Ohno the first time around and they put him up against him AGAIN? Uncalled for, ABC. New this season: half points. The judges wanted the ability to be "really" precise. Anyway, this season promises nothing but dancing awesomeness and Week 1 was here to prove it.

Joey Fatone was a bunch of fun right out of the gate. He and Kym Johnson danced a high-energy and fun Cha Cha. It looked a little sloppy to me, but he certainly knows how to play to the crowd. He started out the night well, with a 20.5.

Shawn Johnson. Fox Trot. LOVED IT. Shawn... you could not be cuter. Derek and Shawn's dance routine was fantastic. If it was up to me, it would have gotten all 10's. Her form is beautiful and her showmanship is stellar, it was an awesome dance for her to start the season off. Unfortunately, it was not Fox Trott-y enough for Len. She got a 22.

Sabrina Bryan is in it to win it. No dang joke. She and Louie danced a Cha Cha and tore it up. She's going to be a force to be reckoned with in the coming weeks. The judges gave her a 22.5

Helio danced a Fox Trot with Chelsea which was very cute. He definitely has the crowd on his side. I liked the routine, but I didn't love it. He ended up with a 21.5.

I liked Pam Anderson way back in Season 10, however, she kicked off this season with a very angry Cha Cha. It didn't really work. She's by far the least practiced of them all. She got the lowest score 17. She has so much chemistry with Tristan, it would be a shame for her to get booted the first week, but it was obvious she needed more time in the studio.

Melissa Rycroft and Tony did a really great Fox Trot. It was definitely well done, however I found some of her movements to be rather cheerleader-y. I don't think the performance lived up to the technique, but it was still a very good dance. She got a 21.

Apollo Anton Ohno's Cha Cha with Karina was a lot of fun. Their chemistry is kickin' and so was their choreography. He's a better performer than I remember. He'll be around for a while. A 22 is what he scored.

Gilles Marini's Fox Trot was fabulous. It was just flat-out entertaining to watch. He and Peta looked fantastic together. They're going to be tough to beat this season. Gilles got the high score of the night with a 24.

Bristol Palin danced a Cha Cha. First off, the girl looks good, so different than the last time. She was great for Bristol Palin, but average for the crowd she's running with. We'll see if the Tea Party carries her through again. She scored a 19.5, NOT the lowest score of the night... the third lowest

Drew Lachey and Anna started their Fox Trot and I immediately started to smile. Love me some Drew Lachey. The judges complained about some rigidness, but it was all good by me. Go on, Drew. He got a 21.5.

Kelly Monaco... LOVE! I'm SO excited she came back for the all-star season. She looked like she had the most fun out of all the stars. Her Cha Cha was fun and relaxed and still precise. I loved watching her dance. Go, Kelly, go! She also got a 21.5.

I love the combo of Kirstie Alley and Maks, but I found their dance a touch boring and I tend to love Maks' choreography. It didn't engage me, but I hope they stick around because I love the way they interact. They got a 19.

Mr. Emmitt Smith has not missed a beat since he won the championship. I loved his Cha Cha and I've missed him so. Can't wait to see what Cheryl and Emmitt do this season. Len called his dance the best so it's only fitting that his score was the best, 24.5.

It was such a great night of dancing that I hope they don't wait another 15 seasons to do All-Stars again. The dancing this season is going to be phenomenal. I'm going with Pamela Anderson getting the boot this first week. It was so obvious that she was under-prepared, that it makes you wonder if her heart is really in it. The Bieber-filled results show will tell us.