They could get Patrick Swayze to do it, or better yet — John Travolta.

Back when Dancing With the Stars was nothing more than a glint in the eye of most ABC executives, the network’s current unscripted chief Rob Mills recalls how he “stupidly” suggested recruiting two of Hollywood’s biggest stars to don Danskins for the fledgling ballroom competition.

“It’s like everything with these celebrity shows,” recalls Mills of his 2004 way of thinking. “You start with that vision of, ‘Oh my gosh, we’re going to get the biggest dancers, and can you imagine what the show’s going to be like?!’ It was so exciting. But then of course, yeah, no . You think they’re going to take time off from making films to do a live dance competition and be judged every week? That’s not happening. And then

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