The Foreign Hit Romcom Movie That Led To Dancing With The Stars' Creation

We can thank Baz Luhrmann for "Dancing with the Stars." 

His 1992 Australian romcom "Strictly Ballroom" provided a unique inside look at the strict world of competitive ballroom dancing. Prior to Luhrmann's fabulously sequined interpretation of the sport, professional ballroom dancing was showcased on the British show "Come Dancing." Airing irregularly from 1949 to 1998, the competition series featured some of the very best in the ballroom scene while maintaining rigorous guidelines.

In the early '00s, BBC producer Richard Hopkins began brewing up ideas for a new reality show — something along the lines of "Come Dancing," but less formal. With the help of producers Fenia Vardanis and Karen Smith, he hatched an idea to partner professional dancers with celebrities who didn't have a lick of dancing experience. "Strictly Come Dancing" was born in 2004, named after the British 1950s series and Luhrmann's "Strictly Ballroom." The immensely popular British show inspired its American counterpart, "Dancing With the Stars," which came out the following year.

In "Strictly Ballroom," main character Scott Hastings (Paul Mercurio) breaks the rules with his fancy footwork and falls for his less-than-coordinated dance partner, Fran (Tara Morice). The sweet story, coupled with Baz Luhrmann's campy directing style, captured the hearts of Australia and beyond. In the year of its release, "Strictly Ballroom" did better at the Australian box office than any other movie. It was also a hit in England and at the Cannes Film Festival. In an interview with the LA Times at the height of the film's popularity, Luhrmann noted, "In Australia, it's part of the vernacular... People now say 'Strictly this' or 'Strictly that.'" 

But when it came time to do an American version of "Strictly Come Dancing," ABC executives worried the original name of the series would confuse audiences who had never heard of "Strictly Ballroom" or "Come Dancing." As executive producer Conrad Greene put it, "you want a show that tells you what's in the tin" (via Entertainment Weekly). TV show titles certainly don't get much more literal than "Dancing with the Stars."