Carrie Ann Inaba Out for DWTS Season 34 Premiere Scores Cut to 20

Carrie Ann Inaba will not be in the ballroom for Tuesday night’s premiere of Dancing with the Stars Season 34 after the veteran judge announced she was ill and would sit out the first episode. In an Instagram post hours before the show’s live broadcast on Sept. 16, Inaba said she was feeling “quite under the weather,” that she was resting, and that she expected to return to the panel next week.

Inaba, a judge on the series since it debuted in 2005, wrote that she would be “cheering you on from home” and wished the contestants luck. A representative for the show confirmed she is expected back for the following episode. Producers also decided not to name a temporary replacement for the premiere, meaning the remaining two judges, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough, will evaluate the performances.

Producers face an immediate logistical adjustment because the program normally tallies scores from three judges on a 30 point scale. A production source said the opening performances will be scored out of 20 points for the premiere to reflect the reduced panel. That change could alter how early standings are perceived and may affect the pacing of judges’ critiques and contestants’ strategy in...