The TV Zone

Now here’s why it pays to go to so many press tour parties in search of the late-night insights you can glean with TV’s movers and shakers.

Mark Cuban was already my pick for the surprise of this season’s “Dancing With the Stars.” I’d seen the Dallas billionaire basketball-team owner (and HDNet operator) at a rockin’ “evening event” at the summer 2004 tour when he was promoting his short-lived ABC reality series “The Benefactor.” He and limelight-reluctant business partner/best bud Todd Wagner chatted up critics early, then hit the dance floor and stayed late. Like, till after the band went home and network staffers kicked out the post-midnight stragglers.

Granted, it was free-form rock dancing -- the only kind most critics can handle. (Whoa! Those ’70s disco steps!) But Cuban clearly felt at home, let loose and enjoyed himself. Among dozens of strangers. Who might well write about whatever moves he made.

He doesn’t care what we think. He cares what he enjoys doing. And he clearly enjoys “Dancing With the Stars,” bouncing back from a summer hip replacement with relish, commitment and competitive fire in last night’s first ballroom round.

So maybe he does care what we think. “We” being viewer voters who determine who stays and who goes. Notice how he turned on the charm last night -- not that dot-com maverick Cuban isn’t always the most genuine, down to earth and accessible billionaire you’re likely to meet. The 49-year-old boyishly goofed around in those backstage shots and gushed on stage about making his “little daughter” happy by doing well. Awww. Hear those phone votes ring. (Follow Cuban’s reactions on his popular “blog maverick.”)

Also, of course, Cuban was mean good on the dance floor with sassy Aussie partner Kym Johnson (previously saddled with Jerry Springer). He came off hard-working, surprisingly light on his feet, and gosh-darn exuberant. It was no mistake ABC’s “Dancing” producers saved his witty “King of the Road” turn for next-to-last.

Somebody had to balance out Wayne Newton.

The first “Dancing With the Stars” results show airs on ABC tonight at 9. Previous episodes stream online here.

[Above: ABC photo by Carol Kaelson.]