BBC to debut new "Wheelchair dancing" reality competition show

Dancing on Wheels is the title of a new BBC reality TV show which features people dancing in wheelchairs with non-wheelchair-using partners. More on Disaboom blog.

Boing Boing editor/partner and tech culture journalist Xeni Jardin hosts and produces Boing Boing's in-flight TV channel on Virgin America airlines (#10 on the dial), and writes about living with breast cancer. Diagnosed in 2011. @xeni on Twitter. email: xeni@boingboing.net.

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Anonymous

BBC3 has been doing some of this playing around with formats lately – for example ‘Young Butcher of the Year’. I think it’s an interesting take on a boring genre. I won’t be watching, but I’m glad they’re doing it, if that makes sense.
manicbassman

there was me thinking this was a spoof taking a crack at the current rise in “reality” programmes… it isn’t!!!

although I strongly suspect the other countries don’t have celebrity partners or select their entrants using the weekly elimination vote…
EH

can’t wait for the breakdancing episode.
RehaDesign

I applaud the BBC for this. You would never see such a program in the USA. In fact, Lady Gaga used an able-bodied dancer to play a wheelchair dancer in her concert performance of “Poker Face”. Notice the “dancer” is being pushed around the stage by another dancer.

http://www.wheelchairpride.com/2009/11/lady-gaga-hired-able-bodied-wheelchair.html

Not only is Lady Gaga doing this, but Kevin McHale an able-bodied actor, played a wheelchair dancer on Glee.

In response to EH’s comment about break dancing. Are you familiar with Luca Patuelli, AKA Lazy Legs? He performed in 2007 on America’s Got Talent:

http://www.wheelchairpride.com/2010/01/am-i-only-one-unaware-of-lazy-legs.html