RATINGS STAR-HIGH FOR DANCING WITH THE STARS

ABC’s Dancing with the Stars far outdistanced the competition Monday night (probably including Monday Night Football on ESPN, although no ratings for the telecast have yet been released; the games have averaged about 15 million viewers). Dancing dominated the first two hours of primetime as it averaged 20.38 million viewers, peaking in the final half-hour with 22.14 million. In the battle for 10:00 p.m. supremacy, ABC’s Castle, thanks to that 22-million viewer lead-in, remained in the lead with 11.75 million viewers, edging out CBS’s Hawaii Five-0 with 10.34 million viewers. Earlier in the evening, NBC’s 8:00 p.m. Matt Lauer interview with former President George W. Bush captured 7.03 million viewers. Everything else on NBC’s Monday-night schedule, however, flamed out, with the much heralded newcomer Event falling to 5.52 million viewers, followed by Chase with 4.54 million.