That question came from Press reporter David Cole last week when I mentioned she was the granddaughter of Bob Hough, a veteran who lost his World War II medals, and the subject of a Cole feature story.

I thought he was just joking, but no, Mr. Cole was serious. No idea who this Julianne Hough was. So, I explained, she was on "Dancing with the Stars," a two-time winner who left the show last year to pursue a country singing career.

Some good stuff on her CD, I might add, and her Christmas CD is filled with fine tunes.

I must admit "Dancing with the Stars" hasn't been the same since my favorite dancer left, but I still tuned in last Monday night to watch the premier of season No. 10, and watched again this week in time to see a petrified Kate Gosselin stumble through her routine. Ouch.

They've made changes this season. Fewer dancers, just 11. New co-host, Brooke Burke. Relocated the area where the dancers sit while waiting their turn from backstage to right out amidst the crowd.

So, much to the dismay of our newsroom, I'll be talking about it to anyone who will listen. There aren't many. Not everyone is as fascinated as I am by an Olympic skating champion trying to complete a Viennese waltz.

Yes, another season of salsas, rumbas, sambas, foxtrots, jives and cha-chas. Another season of calling my parents after the dances to vent over too low or too high of scores from the judges.

Another season of wondering what the heck the fans were thinking when they texted in their votes to keep someone on the show who clearly had no rhythm, no moves, no idea how to cut a rug. Another season of guessing who will win (Julianne's brother Derek Hough and partner Nicole Scherzinger are locks. It's not even fair. She's a pro dancer already, pretty much).

I'm not exactly sure how this became such must-see TV. Didn't start that way. I never even checked it out the first few seasons. Not interesting, I thought. Who could possibly care about some minor celebrities, some former sports stars, even some senior citizens, dancing? Who could find that entertaining?

I never did until a few years ago when I watched it one day at my brother's house. Suddenly, I was hooked on dancing. It was, I discovered, far more entertaining than I first thought. I began to care.

I cheered for Julianne Hough when she won twice, first with Apolo Ohno, and again with Helio Castroneves. I anguished when Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson somehow won out over Melissa Rycroft. I laughed at Cloris Leachman's antics, rooted for Ty Murray the former rodeo champ and cringed when Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak did some kind of worm maneuver.

As the seasons progressed, I could kind of tell who could tango and who couldn't. I could see who had the Paso Doble down. I could see who hit their footwork, their spins, who held their posture and their lines.

I tried to kick this habit last year when Julianne left the show. I skipped the first few episodes, but gradually, as the season went on, the TV set called and I tuned in once again. I even became a Donny Osmond fan for the first time in my life. Way to win one for the old guys, Donny.

Back to the present

The good news this season?

• I like the lineup that includes Erin Andrews, Nicole Scherzinger, Shannen Doherty, Kate Gosselin, Evan Lysacek and Chad Ochocinco. I respect and appreciate Buzz Aldrin for being an Apollo 11 astronaut and the second man on the moon, but c'mon, he's like 103 years old. How could he possible be expected to perform a quickstep with dance pro Ashley Costa?

• Tom Bergeron is a good, gracious host. He keeps smiling as he takes jabs at the judges. I don't miss his former co-host, Samantha Harris, and her silly questions. Why, couldn't the network simply feed her some lines instead of letting her wing it? Brooke Burke, a past winner, will replace Harris. A vast improvement.

• The judges, Len Goodman, Carrie Anne Inaba and Bruno Tonioli, are still sharp. They have to be entertainers, advisers, encouragers and yes, they must be nasty, mean and blunt, too, especially old man Len. It's part of the deal.

So, I will watch one more season of "Dancing with the Stars." I will stick with it through the weeks until another champion is named.

The best part of all this?

David Cole now knows all about Julianne Hough.

Bill Buley is city editor of the Coeur d'Alene Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, ext. 2016, or [email protected].