ABC's "Dancing" Is Up and "Castle" Is Monday's Top Scripted Series

ABC earned second place on Monday night in Adults 18-49, finishing ahead of original lineups on both CBS (+5%) and Fox (+10%). Dancing with the Stars was up week to week in viewers and young adults and Castle once again was the most-watched TV show in the 10pm hour and the night's top scripted series.

Please Note: ABC's lineup was pre-empted in Boston last night.

Gaining week to week in Total Viewers (+2%) and Adults 18-49 (+5%), ABC's Dancing with the Stars nearly tied CBS' original 8-10pm comedy block among Adults 18-49 (pacing within 1-tenth of a rating point and tied in audience share) and beat out Fox's first-run dramas (Bones/The Forgotten) by 10%. Up for the 2nd week in a row with Women 18-34, DWTS delivered a best-since-premiere rating - since 3/18/13.

During the 10 o'clock hour, ABC's Castle was the most-watched TV show in its slot for its 6th straight original airing and was Monday's #1 scripted series for its 5th consecutive telecast. In the hour, Castle defeated CBS' Hawaii Five-0 by a season-best 2.8 million viewers and 17% in Adults 18-49. The ABC drama was on par with its last original two weeks ago among Adults 18-49.

Quick Take for Monday, April 15, 2013 (Fast Affiliate Live+ Same Day Ratings)

"Dancing with the Stars" is Up Week to Week in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, While Delivering a Best-Since-Premiere Rating in Women 18-34

ABC's "Castle" Leads the 10pm Hour and Stands as Monday's Most-Watched Scripted Series, Beating CBS' "Hawaii Five-0" by a Season-Best 2.8 Million Viewers

Monday Night (8:00-11:00 p.m.)

ABC earned second place on Monday night in Adults 18-49 (2.2/6), finishing ahead of original lineups on both CBS (+5% - 2.1/6) and Fox (+10% - 2.0/5). "Dancing with the Stars" was up week to week in viewers and young adults, and "Castle" once again was the most-watched TV show in the 10:00 p.m. hour and the night's top scripted series.

Please Note: ABC's lineup was pre-empted in Boston last night.

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

Gaining week to week in Total Viewers (+2%) and Adults 18-49 (+5%), ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" nearly tied CBS' original 8:00 - 10:00 p.m. comedy block among Adults 18-49 (2.2/6 vs. 2.3/6 - pacing within 1-tenth of a rating point and tied in audience share) and beat out Fox's first-run dramas (2.0/5 - "Bones"/"The Forgotten") by 10%. Up for the 2nd week in a row with Women 18-34 (1.9/6), "DWTS" delivered a best-since-premiere rating - since 3/18/13.

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

During the 10 o'clock hour, ABC's "Castle" was the most-watched TV show in its slot for its 6th straight original airing, and was Monday's No. 1 scripted series for its 5th consecutive telecast. In the hour, "Castle" defeated CBS' "Hawaii Five-0" by a season-best 2.8 million viewers (10.4 million vs. 7.6 million) and 17% in Adults 18-49 (2.1/5 vs. 1.8/5). The ABC drama was on par with its last original two weeks ago among Adults 18-49 (2.2/6 on 4/1/13).

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 48% currently, from 44% at the same point in 2012. 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: The Nielsen Company, Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings, 4/15/13.