QUICK TAKE

JOHN RATZENBERGER JOINS ABC�S �DANCING WITH THE STARS�

John Ratzenberger will make his ballroom dancing debut in the fourth season of �Dancing with the Stars,� returning MARCH 19 (8:00-10:00 p.m. PT) to ABC. Following Vincent Pastore�s withdrawal, Ratzenberger has nobly stepped in to take his place. Show producers had previously extended an invitation to him to participate this season, but a scheduling conflict prevented him from accepting until now. He takes on the added challenge of having less time to train than his fellow competitors before the series premieres � two weeks versus four.

Ratzenberger�s most prominent recent work has been as host and producer of �John Ratzenberger�s Made in America,� and as author of the new book, We�ve Got It Made in America: A Common Man�s Salute to An Uncommon Country. The beloved actor starred in the classic television series �Cheers� and in ABC�s �8 Simple Rules.� He is also the only actor to have voiced a role in all of Pixar�s feature films, including �Finding Nemo,� �The Incredibles,� �Cars� and the upcoming �Ratatouille.� Edyta Sliwinska, the only professional dancer to participate in all four seasons of �Dancing with the Stars,� will be his partner.

�Dancing with the Stars� is the U.S. version of the international smash hit series, �Strictly Come Dancing.� This version is produced in America by BBC Worldwide. Conrad Green and Richard Hopkins are executive producers and Izzie Pick is co-executive producer. Rob Wade and Matilda Zoltowski are supervising producers. Alex Rudzinski directs.