Variety reports that ABC Family has caught "Dance Fever" and is reviving the 1980s dance competition series. According to Variety, ABC Family has ordered 13 hour-long episodes of the series and could begin airing them as early as June 2003.

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The new "Dance Fever" will feature a nationwide search for contestants in various popular dance forms, such as hip-hop and salsa. Episode length is being expanded from the original half-hour to an hour in order to incorporate new features, such as profiles of the contestants. A host and celeb judges are to be determined, along with other format details. The show likely will culminate in a championship to be staged in Los Angeles or Las Vegas.

"'Dance Fever' is definitely a marquee name," said Linda Mancuso, ABC Family's head of programming, "and dancing seems to be one of the genres that hasn't been exploited in the way that maybe singing has been with 'American Idol' and acting will be with some other series coming out." The original series, which Merv Griffin created and spun off his long-running "The Merv Griffin Show," aired in syndication from 1978-87. It featured a catchy theme song, a lighted floor and lots of disco dancing.

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