Nielsens: 'Dancing' dips, 'Hot in Cleveland' cools

The Dancing With the Stars phenom hasn't tapped out yet ? dropping only 6% from last spring's start. Jersey Shore wrapped Season 3 with 7.6 million viewers in tow.

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  ABC

  Talk show host Wendy Williams partners with Tony Dovolani on Dancing With the Stars.

ABC

Talk show host Wendy Williams partners with Tony Dovolani on Dancing With the Stars.

?Dancing slips. ABC's Dancing With the Stars (22.7 million viewers Monday) returned with a lower-wattage cast but only a 6% dip from last spring's start. And the show was up 7% from last September's premiere.

?Jersey out.MTV's Jersey Shore ended its third season with 7.6 million viewers, its biggest finish yet, but below eight of this season's 13 episodes. The second-season opener of The Hard Times of RJ Berger, which followed, scored a series-high 3.1 million.

?Fairly good. The first-season finale of USA's Fairly Legal averaged 4.1 million viewers Thursday, tying its series high. Lifetime's Army Wives saluted a series-high 4.8 million Sunday. And ABC Family's Pretty Little Liars wrapped its first season with a second-best 3.6 million Monday.

?Pay-cable corner. The opener of HBO's three-part miniseries Mildred Pierce drew 1.3 million Sunday. On Showtime, Shameless drew 1.2 million, a series high, for its first-season finale, and Californication's fourth-season closer managed 547,000.

?Hoops. The NCAA March Madness basketball tournament, now split among CBS and three cable networks and airing all games in all markets, is averaging 9.4 million viewers through the Elite Eight round, its best showing since 2005, and up 11% from last year's on CBS alone. But ratings for many individual telecasts are lower because of overlapping games.

?Friday fun. Disney Channel's Suite Life movie checked in 5.2 million Friday, while the time-slot debut of ABC's Shark Tank bit off 4.6 million.

?More cable finishes. MTV's controversial Skins ended its low-rated season with 1.2 million viewers Monday. On TV Land, the second-season finale of Hot in Cleveland drew 1.8 million Wednesday, about half of last summer's finish. Retired at 35 retired with 1.2 million.

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Magdalena Wróbel Genelle Frenoy Saira Mohan Jaime Pressly Brooke Burke