CBS refused to be Bowl’d over by ESPN’s college football coverage and handily topped its Monday broadcast rivals in both total viewers and in the coveted 18-49 demo. Meanwhile, ABC’s Bachelor Ben looked to be a bit soft compared to the dating show’s previous cycle.
Going hour-by-hour, here’s what we’ve got:
8 pm | How I Met Your Mother, with 10.22 million total viewers and a 3.9 rating, was down 13 percent from its especially high fall finale, while 2 Broke Girls (12 mil/4.3) inched up a bit in the demo versus its last fresh outing. The Bachelor premiere (7.74 mil/2.4) fell 13 and 17 percent from a year ago, and NBC’s Who’s Still Standing? (5.6 mil/1.5) held steady.
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9 pm | Two and a Half Men returned as Monday’s highest-rated and most-watched program, drawing 13.8 million total viewers while scoring a 4.4 in the demo. Mike & Molly led out of that with 11.9 mil and a 3.8. Fear Factor matched the back half of The Bachelor in the demo, holding steady with a 2.5 rating while dipping a bit to 5.9 million total viewers.
10 pm | Hawaii Five-0 trounced all comers with 11.7 million viewers and a 2.9 rating, up 7 and 4 percent from its last fresh eppy. ABC’s Celebrity Wife Swap sneak peek’d to 6.3 mil and a 2.4 rating. NBC’s Rock Center placed a distant third with 3.85 mil and a 1.2 rating.
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What were you tuned into this Monday night?