TV Ratings: ABC's 'Dancing with the Stars' boogies past Monday competition

Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli of 'Dancing with the Stars'

Credit: Kelsey McNeal/ABC

Fast National ratings for Monday, March 23, 2009.

With FOX and CBS both scattering repeats into their Monday programming, ABC had no trouble riding "Dancing with the Stars" to easy ratings victories.

ABC averaged a 4.2 rating in the key 18-49 demographic, beating the 3.4 rating for CBS and FOX's 3.0 rating. NBC was fourth with a 2.4 rating, followed by the 1.1 rating for The CW.

Overall, ABC averaged an estimated 16.7 million viewers in primetime to go with a 10.8 rating/17 share. CBS was well back in second with a 6.5/10, followed by FOX's 5.4/8 and the 4.0/6 for NBC. The CW's 1.5/2 trailed.

"Dancing with the Stars" delivered a 12.4/19 in the 8 p.m. hour for ABC. FOX was a distant second with a repeat of "House." A new "How I Met Your Mother" (4.5/7) and a repeat of "How I Met Your Mother" (4.2/6) were both perplexingly low for CBS. NBC's "Chuck" had a 3.7/6 for fourth (slightly up from its last Monday original), while series co-creator Josh Schwartz's other Monday show, The CW's "Gossip Girl," had a 1.5/2 for fifth.

In the 9 p.m. hour "Dancing with the Stars" improved to a 13.3/19. CBS moved into second with a 6.5/9 averaged by a "Two and a Half Men" repeat and a new "Rules of Engagement." FOX's "24" drooped slightly to a 6.1/9 with its weaker-than-usual leading. While critics raved about a comeback episode for "Heroes," viewers didn't notice, as the show slumped to a 4.0/6. The CW's "One Tree Hill" was fifth.

CBS moved into first in the 10 p.m. hour with an 8.6/15 for "CSI: Miami." After a stable second week, ABC's "Castle" fell to a 6.6/11, losing more than half of its lead-in and dropping at the half-hour. NBC's "Medium" was third.

All ratings information comes from preliminary Fast National Nielsen data, which includes live and same-day DVR viewing. All numbers are subject to change.

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Daniel Fienberg
Executive Editor

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A long-time member of the TCA Board and a longer-time blogger of "American Idol," Dan Fienberg writes about TV, except for when he writes about movies or sometimes writes about the Red Sox. But never music. He would sound stupid talking about music.