5 Fun Facts About the Hough Siblings Moving From 'Stars' to STARZ
"Dancing With the Stars" alums Derek and Julianne Hough develop a dance drama for cable.
America fell in love with blond brother and sister dancing dynamos Derek and Julianne Hough on ABC's "Dancing With the Stars." It's been a while since they were together on network TV, but right now they're teaming up to develop "Blackpool," a scripted ballroom dancing drama, for STARZ. When the two stepped out to support "Magic City," they gave Yahoo! TV the lowdown on their next project. Here's what's up with the Houghs:
1. Think "Black Swan," not ABC
"What people see on TV is the glamor and the fluff," said Julianne. "We're going to dive deeper and surprise people with some other fun stuff — the real nitty-gritty — the stuff you can't show on network television but only on STARZ."
Derek said he had been kicking around the idea of a series like this for a long time. He promises a mix of dark and light and told us that developing the series makes him feel "like a kid in a candy store."
[Related: 'Magic City' Star Confesses She Met Rocker Fiancé on Twitter]
2. The Hemingway Way: writing + wine = productivity
The writing room he and Julianne share sounds like a fun one, too: "We have so many real stories," he said. "Sometimes we'll have a glass of wine and start talking, and then it's four hours later."
3. No, there will not be a character based on Bruno Tonioli
"Blackpool" is not a tell-all roman a clef. "It's not autobiographical," said Julianne. "We're definitely making up a lot of fun things." Derek agreed and said he's thrilled with what writers who "get it" are adding to the mix.
4. iPhone alarm = dinner bell
So there we were talking about Miami, where "Magic City" takes place. Julianne nailed the special quality of the city: "It's easygoing. Obviously, being in New York or L.A., it's all about technology, and I think in Miami you're just there. You're at the beach, you're playing, you forget about life. You just live it!"
[Related: Bill Murray Is Still Harassing 'Magic City' Minx Kelly Lynch]
Then her phone started beeping, and we asked what that was about.
"That's my phone saying to eat dinner," she said with a laugh.
Someone give this girl a week off at the Miramar, pronto!
5. The gym is a have-to for Julianne
"I miss it," she said of her "Dancing" days. "I miss the dancing part. I haven't danced regularly in four years. So I have to go to the gym now."
Well, at least they have Zumba classes, right?
"Magic City" returns June 14 on STARZ.
Check out photos of the Houghs on "Dancing With the Stars":
