'Dancing With the Stars' recap: Buzz Aldrin gets a little spacey

Buzz Aldrin: the moon is not the ballroom.

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"Dancing With the Stars" returned on Monday night with a new look, a new holding area, a new co-host (in Brooke Burke, and had all of the energy and none of the stumbling of Samantha Harris), and a new introduction that made all of the contestants look like they were dancing on top of a building somewhere.

Outside of these changes, it was the same ol' show we've come to like -- complete with Tom Bergeron's cheeky one-liners. The cast is one of the better ones we've seen in a while, and it showed in this debut episode.

Chad Ochocinco: Chad is the sort of person you really want to root for on this show, mainly because he actually seems to have some sort of drive to be there. That said, this dance was a little bit rough and full of the occasional missteps. He needs to loosen up, improve his chemistry, and act more like he's scoring a touchdown and staring in the face of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

Shannen Doherty: I know the judges were rather hard on Shannen this week, but I actually think she has a ton of potential. Mark Ballas gave her a rather difficult routine to do, but she executed with with only a few minor slips here and there. Now, will the "bad girl of Beverly Hills" actually get enough votes? Her relationship with her father certainly makes her have a great story.

Erin Andrews: Their rehearsal footage was hilarious (Maksim whining!), as was Bruno's choice to once again use potentially-inappropriate innuendo when describing her dance. She was able to work past the fact that she had to dance to Ke$ha and deliver something that was technically strong, but also a tad forgettable.

Jake Pavelka: Does anyone else think that Chelsie Hightower looks like Ali Fedotowski? Just saying. Also, why in the world is Gia there? Why does the guy keep handing out roses? I have so many questions for Jake right now, the most important one being how he managed to be such a decent dancer in spite of having to spend so much time doing publicity for "The Bachelor."

Niecy Nash: Before I write too much about Niecy, let me first say I'm a little biased since I find her voice to be one of the more irritating sounds on the planet. After watching about 30 repeats of "Clean House," I wasn't really too thrilled to see her on here. I will give her credit for making me laugh a few times, even though her performance was pretty bare-bones.

Evan Lysacek: Yes, we know -- Evan is an ice dancer and he may have an unfair advantage. With that in mind, it's not particularly a surprise to see him end up with a 23 (the highest of the night to this point) for a Viennese waltz filled with elegant moves and so-so footwork.

Buzz Aldrin: I want to root for Buzz -- the guy landed on the Moon! Of course Buzz's dancing was awful, but I don't really think anybody was expecting him to be good. I don't even think anyone expected him to be average. Do I think he'll survive an elimination? Probably, and all the people who take this show too seriously will complain about it.

Nicole Scherzinger: It only took Nicole about five seconds to claim that her dance experience with the Pussycat Dolls will not help her on this show in any way whatsoever. Then, of course, she had the best performance of the night. Nicole will likely go the way of Mya this season -- she doesn't have the fan base.

Aiden Turner: First of all, was Edyia actually wearing any clothing during the dance? Everything about their performance was just a little awkward, even if some of the humor beforehand was funny. I don't really know if this couple has much life in the competition, especially such Aiden isn't a big name.

Kate Gosselin: Man, did Kate really get it from Bruno tonight. You could tell that the reality TV mom was nervous throughout the entire performance, and it showed as she really didn't seem to be having too much. I think Kate's TLC fanbase will likely carry her through the first few weeks, but after that she's going to face some tougher competition with people more use to performing.

Pamela Anderson: Pam went for showmanship and sex appeal, and ended up being the show's biggest surprise as a result. Was she technically sound? Not necessarily, but it was an absolute blast to watch. Pam will and should stick around for a while -- just so she can mess with Tom some more.

Who are you rooting for to win "Dancing With the Stars?" Let me know your thoughts with a comment and stay tuned for photos from Monday night's premiere.

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