ABC Getting Closer To 'Dancing With The Stars: All-Stars'

ABC officially remains mum, but Mario Lopez might've outed who could join an upcoming "Dancing with the Stars: All-Stars" season.

Lopez first unofficially confirmed ABC ballroom dance competition's alumni-reunion season when he recently co-hosted "Live! With Kelly". At the time, he told Kelly Ripa, "You know what, Kelly? They're doing 'Dancing With The Stars: All-Stars' next season . . . They called me to do it." Since that time, Lopez has backed off his claim and ABC has declined to address it, The Huffington Post reports. Lopez himself was a season 3 runner-up, and later embarked on a romantic relationship with ballroom-pro partner Karina Smirnoff.

Though nothing looks etched in stone, TV Guide's recent report claims that Lopez, Gilles Marini, Mel B., Sabrina Bryan and Kyle Massey look like probably returning contestants. Bryan and Massey are currently in the throes of a three-month "Dancing With The Stars: Live In Las Vegas" performing engagement. Current co-host/interviewer - and 2008 season 7 winner - Brooke Burke Charvet told Rachael Ray in March that she would gladly lay down her mic and put on her boogie shoes if only asked.

"I haven't danced ballroom since I left the show, I would love to," she said. "And being on the show, it just makes me want to dance again."

Doing anything beats another crop like the current season's.

Though all talented in their own rights, the current crop of competitors just feels so flat, compared with the conflicts, developing stories and occasional outbursts and controversies that flavored the Fall 2011 lineup that included the Ricki Lake-J.R. Martinez week-after-week leader-board duel, Chaz Bono milking the judges' pity and Rob Kardashian taking the field by storm as a dark-horse finalist.

What's more, at least there would be no question whether or not this crop could go. With the current season posting some series-low numbers, ABC would do well to do anything to liven things up.