“DANCING” STARTS ABC OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT

ABC, which had been languishing in last place in the ratings for most of the season, appeared revitalized last week, thanks to its competition series Dancing with the Stars, its resurging drama Castle, and its long-running Grey’s Anatomy.. Last week, Dancing edged out Fox’s American Idol for the top spot on the Nielsen ratings chart. The Idol shows placed second and third respectively on the Nielsen list, followed by CBS’s new reality series Undercover Boss. Old stalwart 60 Minutes rounded out the top five. Among the nightly newscasts, NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams retained its frontrunner position with an average of 8.4 million viewers. ABC World News with Diane Sayer placed second with 7.4 million viewers, while the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric remained in last place with an average of 5.7 million tuning in. Overall, CBS drew the most viewers for the week averaging 11.1 million per show in primetime. That translated to a 6.8 rating and a 12 share. Fox and ABC tied for second place with an average 5.2/9, while NBC trailed with a 3.9/7.

The top ten shows of the week according to Nielsen Research:1. Dancing With The Stars, ABC, 15.0/23; 2. American Idol (Tuesday), Fox, 13.5/21; 3. American Idol (Wednesday), Fox, 12.2/20; 4. Undercover Boss, CBS, 9.6/15; 5. 60 Minutes, CBS, 9.0/15; 6. Two and a Half Men, CBS, 8.6/13; 7. NCIS, CBS, 8.3/13; 8. The Big Bang Theory, CBS, 8.0/12; 9. Castle, ABC, 7.9/14; 10. Grey’s Anatomy, ABC, 7.6/12.