Dancing With the Stars Buzz Meter

DWTS: Who's Taking the Lead

A test of wills, pirouettes, and groin-first slides across a slippery dance floor marks this sixth outing of "Dancing with the Stars." The Baltimore Sun went so far as to call the ABC series "one of the two largest and most influential stages in American pop culture," thanks to its sex appeal, broad outreach, and built-in diversity.

Weighty words, but the sentiment is echoed in Search. Every single state in the union except one checked out “DWTS” online. The exception? North Dakota, which perhaps has been preoccupied by a mummified dinosaur.

Fans clearly enjoy watching their old favorites return to the spotlight, as well. Take Steve Guttenberg. Among the 12 competitors, the Police Academy actor's searches spiked the fastest. Fans of the show also sought the scoop on "jason taylor divorce," "how old is priscilla presley," "priscilla presley plastic surgery" (a query that first surfaced after her startling appearance on "American Idol"), "kristi yamaguchi brett hadican," "shannon elizabeth american pie," and "marlee matlin biography."

Here are top 12 competitors ranked by their performance in Search. Expect a shuffle soon when talent trumps nostalgia.

Dance Like the World is Watching

The time has come for a new crop of celebrities to don the sequins, lacquer their hair, loosen their hips, and revitalize their careers (and bodies) in the process. ABC announced the cast for the spring season of "Dancing with the Stars" on the "Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann" finale, and searchers pounced all over the news. Monday night searches focused on "new dancing with the stars cast," "dancing with the stars 2008 lineup," and, of course, the stars themselves.

We know the drill—and the addictive thrills—that come when a star dares to mambo, waltz, and rumba on live television. No one can quite predict the energy and quirks each celebrity will reveal, but searchers (especially women 35-64) have their dance cards and DVRs ready. Whose buzz will top 2007 moments like Marie Osmond's faint or dancer Julianne Hough's backstage toot? Which star will show their nerves a la Jennie Garth? Which couple's chemistry will set tongues wagging a la Sabrina Bryan and Mark Ballas? And will Monica Seles, Kristi Yamaguchi, or Jason Taylor dominate in the athletic tradition of champions Emmitt Smith, Apolo Anton Ohno, and Helio Castroneves?

Two ladies, in particular, enter the ballroom draped in pre-DWTS buzz. Search reveals that Oscar winner Marlee Matlin turned heads when she appeared on "The L Word" ("jennifer beals and marlee matlin" and "marlee matlin l word"). And some web surfers make a hobby of comparing and contrasting the changing appearance of Priscilla Presley ("priscilla presley plastic surgery," "young priscilla presley," and "recent photo of priscilla presley").

Here's how all the celebs rank in Buzz before they bravely step onto the dance floor in March:

Romancing with the Stars

Has "Dancing with the Stars" become a bigger phenomenon than "American Idol"? We can't say for certain, but one thing is for sure—thanks to Helio Castroneves, "Dancing" is gaining ground.

As album sales of last season's "Idol" winner, Jordin Sparks, tanked, searches on Helio, the recent "Dancing" champ, surged 467%. Helio's rhythm and charisma played a part, but searchers were most interested in his love life.

To wit, queries on his dance partner, the fetching Julianne Hough, surged 456%. Queries on "helio and julianne dating" and "helio julianne girlfriend" also posted big gains. Clearly, fans are wondering if the pair are more than just platonic partners.

But let's not forget about Aliette Vazquez, Helio's ex-fiancee. Less than 24 hours after Helio won the Dancing trophy, his longtime lady called off their engagement. Is Julianne the reason? We have no idea, but the rumors have been good for Dancing's buzz.

The Mystery Men of Dancing

This season's "Dancing with the Stars" cast announcement had us worried. Five minutes after checking out the supposed "stars," we could barely remember half their names.

However, that's no longer a problem—for us or for the show's many fans. Searches on the dancing celebs are soaring despite the lack of household names on the men's side. Below, we check in with three buzzworthy mystery men who are still boogying.

All About Age

This season's premiere of "Dancing With the Stars" came loaded with questions. Like, who is this Albert Reed dude? Or, where are the "josie maran pics"? And, most importantly, "how old is wayne newton"?

The taut-faced entertainer will likely become this season's sentimental fave, a la Jerry Springer or George Hamilton. However after his first twirl around the floor, searchers weren't fascinated by his footwork. Judging from searches on "wayne newton age," they simply wanted to know when the showman made his first appearance on Earth. The bio on his official site was MIA, but according to Wikipedia, Mr. Las Vegas was born in 1942—which makes him a spry 65.

The "Dancing" results show also had an ageist angle with an appearance by country legend Dolly Parton. After the blonde icon strutted her ample stuff, searchers were compelled to ask "how old is dolly parton." It's not the first time Ms. Parton's age has sparked buzz, but it did inspire us to check what other celeb birthdays were in question. Here are this week's top 20 "how old is..." searches:

A couple more notes on age...

—Four of our top 20 are stars of "High School Musical."

—Besides the ageless Mr. Newton, "Dancing" also spurred searches on the age of female dancers Marie Osmond and Jane Seymour.