Yawn. That’s how exciting the competition on “Dancing With the Stars” has become. Watching the ABC reality show is like watching the Oscars and trying to predict who will come in second place. The action resumes tonight.

Unless Kristi Yamaguchi suddenly goes mad and beats up the judges, this is her year to take home the tackiest trophy in televison. Her dancing is so far superior to the others it is like a Broadway dancer taking on an 8th grade nerd.

There must be a way to make the competition interesting again. Here are some suggestions.

Make Yamaguchi wear ice skates. That probably wouldn’t work. She has shown she is equally as graceful on the ice as she is on the dance floor. The only way this plan would work is if the laces were tied together. She would still be able to bunny hop to a victory.

You could make all of the other dancers dress provocatively. Oops. That’s alreday being done. Edyta Sliwinska is about one string away from the network series having to move to cable.

The producers should allow for a mystery contestant to join. Tonya Harding probably can get away from her job at the Dairy Queen to take a few spins on the dance floor. Then it is Nancy Kerrington time. Actually, Yamaguchi is better on one leg than most of the remaining competitors.

Force Yamaguchi to dance with magician Penn Gillette. His lack of coordination would slow Yamaguchi enough he could make her disappear. He’d look silly dancing alone. But the other might have a chance.

The best idea is to call this year’s competition off. Some sports have a mercy rule. That’s when one team gets so far ahead of the other there is no hope. The other “Dancing With the Stars” competitors could use a little mercy.

Reminder: New episodes of the ABC drama “Women’s Murder Club” will return to the schedule in a new time slot. The series about four women who work together to solve crimes has moved from Fridays to 10 p.m. Tuesday. Angie Harmon stars.
Also returning to the schedule is “Shark.” The CBS legal drama starring James Woods also has shifted to a new night. It jumps from Sundays to 10 p.m.