Strong 'Two and a Half Men' Lifts CBS Ratings

Stars were dancing and heroes were being heroic, but neither could break CBS's grip on Monday nights, driven by the network's continuing star sitcom performer, Two and a Half Men.

Men
averaged a 5.1/12 in the 18-49 demo, according to Nielsen overnight numbers. Combined with a time-period-winning performance from CSI: Miami at 10 p.m. (3.8/10) and a 3.9/10 from How I Met Your Mother at 8:30, CBS scored a solid win with a 3.9/10 average for the night.

ABC was second with a 3.3/8 in the demo, led by Dancing With the Stars wiht a 3.9/10. Samantha Who? averaged a 3/7 at 9:30-10 for third place in that time period.

NBC was third with a 2.9/7, led by Heroes with a 3.9/9 at 9-10, good enough for second place in the time period behind CBS.

Fox averaged a 2.2/5, led by Prison Break. Terminator, which

Fox gave a full-season pickup

to last week, averaged a 2.1/5.

The CW averaged a 1.7/4, led by a 1.9/4 for One Tree Hill.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.