The first season of Dancing with the Stars debuted on ABC on June 1, 2005. Six celebrities were paired with six professional ballroom dancers. Tom Bergeron and Lisa Canning were the hosts for this season.

The premiere drew over 13 million viewers, the biggest summer debut ever for an American reality series. The second week climbed to 15 million viewers, and the show climbed to No. 1 in the summer 2005 TV season ratings, where it remained for the remainder of the season. The season finale aired July 6, 2005.