Young adult and viewership figures are not yet in, but based on the overnights, CBS’ Monday night comedy experiment was a success.
With no “How I Met Your Mother” original scheduled this week, CBS ran the new “2 Broke Girls” at 8PM, rather than at 8:30PM. While something of a necessity from a scheduling standpoint (to make sure the Monday lineup opened with some momentum), this also appeared to be something of a test–is 2011’s most successful new series a legitimate, self-starting hit, or is it simply benefitting from a slot between the red-hot “How I Met Your Mother” and the revamped “Two and a Half Men?”
Monday seemed to prove the former notion. “2 Broke Girls” posted an 8.1 overnight metered market rating (household approximation), topping what “How I Met” has been posting in the slot this season. A re-run of “2BG” scored a perfectly-acceptable 6.9 at 8:30PM.
That led into “Two and a Half Men,” which was still solid with a 9.9, and “Mike & Molly” (also strong with an 8.3).
There have been rumors that CBS might want to open a fourth hour of comedy next season, and Monday’s “2 Broke Girls” performance should add optimism to that possible plan. At this point, CBS now has four comedies–“Mother,” “Men,” “2BG” and “The Big Bang Theory”–that can open hours for the network.