Dancing With The Stars Blew Out Monday Night Ratings

ABC has done it again on Monday night.  Unless you've been living in a cave you probably know that it was one week ago this past Monday that ABC blew out the ratings with The Bachelor Final Rose and After The Final Rose - Part One.

Due to the shocking nature of the way Bachelor Jason Mesnick first proposed to Melissa Rycroft during the Final Rose and then dumped her in After The Final Rose - Part One the ABC network knocked CBS' top gun - CSI Miami - off their long standing Monday Night winning perch.  Even with the long awaited kiss between two CSI Miami long timers - Eric and Cali - The Bachelor blew past with the big Melissa dumping.

ABC did it again.  This past Monday night was the much anticipated premiere of ABC's long running Dancing With The Stars reality show with two of the stars quitting right before the premiere.  Jewel and Nancy O'Dell were both hurt during pre-show practice and had to lose their dancing spots to The Bachelor's Melissa Rycroft - filling in for Nancy O'Dell and Playboy Playmate Holly Madison who took Jewel's spot.

Isn't it interesting that the current season, which is the eighth season of the show turned out to be the the most-watched premiere in Dancing's history.  Over the past few seasons the show had been sliding downwards in the ratings but has shot back up to the top with this new season.  More than 22.5 million people tuned in to watch DWTS on Monday night, giving the show a 9% increase over last year.

Even more interesting, when Melissa Rycroft was introduced and her public dumping by Jason Mesnick was mentioned, the crowd booed for Jason.  Hmmm.  I guess his apology tour may not be working, at least not yet.

Ironically Melissa Rycroft was involved in both of ABC's Monday night wins.  First as the dumpee on The Bachelor and then as the emergency replacement for Nancy on Dancing With The Stars.  Hello ABC, it appears Melissa is truly America's Sweetheart.

I for one am definitely voting for Melissa to win the DWTS trophy.  She deserves it after all that has happened to her.  You go girl!