CBS’ comedies felt the impact of NBC’s sudden emergence as the dominant television destination on Monday, and a clear victim was “Two and a Half Men.”
Technically, the “Men” drop was less substantial than those impacting “How I Met Your Mother” and “Mike & Molly,” but its fall was the most newsworthy.
Why? In dropping to a 4.2 adults 18-49 rating with 12.9 million viewers, “Men” not only reached a new season low but also, for the first time in a long time, forfeited its crown as the network’s Monday kingpin.
Final adjustments could change the picture, but as of right now, “2 Broke Girls” was CBS’ leaders in the demo. The freshman comedy, which should be receiving its second season renewal soon, attracted a 4.3 with 11.4 million viewers.
Earlier in the night, “How I Met Your Mother” posted a 4.0 and 10.0 million; “Mike & Molly” aired at 9:30 with a 3.4 and 11.0 million, before “Hawaii 5-0” closed the night at a 2.7 and 9.8 million.
— Over on NBC, “The Voice” debuted as a monster, responsible for a massive 6.6 adults 18-49 rating and 17.4 million viewers. “Smash” followed with a healthy 3.8 and 11.5, giving NBC a significant boost in the Monday at 10PM timeslot and debuting as the network’s top-rated scripted comedy.
One point of potential concern comes from the big drop throughout the hour; the 10PM portion scored a 4.2, while the 10:30PM portion was good for only a 3.4.
Some drop was going to be inevitable due to the size of the lead-in; “The Voice” scored a 7.7 at 9:30, and some of those viewers likely lingered for an extra minute or three before departing NBC, thus inflating the opening half-hour of “Smash.” But if the inflation effect is not the only culprit, then it could be argued that “Smash” failed to engage some curious viewers.
If that is the case, a decline should be expected for upcoming airings.
Still, for NBC, it has some serious breathing room before needing to sound the panic alarm.
And, in this moment, it is irrefutable that the “Smash” premiere was a winner from a ratings standpoint.
