Quick Take for Monday, September 21, 2009 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

Opposite Stiff Season Premiere Competition on the Networks, ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" Emerges as Monday's Most-Watched TV Show

Improving the 10 O'clock Hour for ABC, "Castle" Beats Out NBC's "Jay Leno" by Wide Margins in Viewers and Young Adults

"Dancing with the Stars" (8:00-10:00 p.m.)

Up against season premiere programming on each of the networks (CBS = 8:00-10:00 p.m. comedies/NBC = 2-hour "Heroes"/Fox = 2-hour "House"), ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" opened its 9th season as Monday's most-watched TV show (17.5 million). From 8:00-10:00 p.m., "DWTS" topped its nearest competition by 1.0 million viewers (Fox's "House" � 16.5 million). Among Adults 18-49 in the time slot, "Dancing" (4.1/10) outpaced CBS' 8:00-10:00 p.m. comedy block by 5% (3.9/10) and NBC's 2-hour "Heroes" opener by 52% (2.7/7).

� In Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, "Dancing with the Stars" generated ABC's best numbers in the time period since early May � since 5/11/09.

"Castle" (10:00-11:00 p.m.)

Opposite CBS' "CSI: Miami" premiere in the 10 o'clock hour, the season opener of ABC's "Castle" beat out NBC's "Jay Leno" by 3.7 million viewers (9.4 million vs. 5.7 million) and by 28% in Adults 18-49 (2.3/6 vs. 1.8/5).

� "Castle" improved its time period for ABC, bettering the Network's averages last Fall with original scripted programming in the hour by 13% in Total Viewers and by 10% in Adults 18-49 (4th Quarter '08 "Boston Legal" = 8.3 million and 2.1/5).

A note about increasing DVR penetration and year-to-year rating comparisons: Year-to-year rating comparisons based on the Live + Same Day data stream are distorted by the level of DVR penetration in the Nielsen sample, which has jumped up to 33% currently, from 27% at the same point in 2007. More viewers are watching shows on their own timetables, which may not be reflected in the overnight next day numbers. The only truly valid year-to-year comparison would be one based on the Live + 7 Day metric, once those stats are released by Nielsen.

Source: Nielsen Media Research (Fast Affiliate, Live + Same Day Ratings), 9/21/09.