
It was another depressing Monday ratings race for the Big 4 networks, with only four series — CBS’ Two And A Half Men, ABC’s Castle and Fox’s House and Bones – holding ground or posting minor improvement. Everyone else was down to a season/series low. That includes NBC, which won the night in adults 18-49. Its flagship series, The Voice (3.6/10), fell 8% from last week’s fast national for its sixth consecutive Monday decline to a new performance show low. The singing reality series also surrendered the top 18-49 spot on the night for the first time against regular competition, edged by veteran CBS comedy Two And A Half Men (3.7/9). The introduction of Uma Thurman didn’t help Smash (1.9/5), which was down 10% from its fast national last week to a new series low. (The musical drama has been adjusted down in the finals for the last three weeks.)
ABC’s Dancing With The Stars (2.8/7) was down a tenth from last week’s fast national and currently ties its series lows for performance shows but will likely be adjusted up in the finals. Castle (2.2/6) matched the fast national for its last original two weeks ago. Back then, it was adjusted down in the finals, which is expected again because of a Dancing overrun. ABC won the night in total viewers. CBS’ How I Met Your Mother (3.0/9) was down a steep 14% from last week to a season low, while 2 Broke Girls (3.3/9) was down 6% to a series low. Two And A Half Men (3.7/9) bounced back from last week’s low, up 8% from last week’s fast national, while Mike & Molly (3.1/8) was down a tenth to tie a season low. Hawaii Five-0 was a repeat. Fox’s Bones (2.1/6) and House (2.0/5) matched their fast nationals from last week. Because of adjustments in the opposite directions, Bones was down a tenth from its final last week, House was up a tenth. The CW’s Gossip Girl and Hart Of Dixie perked up, both up a tenth in 18-49 from last week.
TV Editor Nellie Andreeva - tip her here.


As soon as The Voice stops spinning chairs and the blind auditions end, that show becomes just another by-the-numbers singing show. And now to make matters worse, they’re dragging out the boring parts of the show for even more episodes.
It didn’t help that Anguilla blatantly rigged her first “duet” set following the blind auditions by throwing her country duo under the bus with an wholly inappropriate song choice (especially for a duo!) and poor stage directions in favor of a charismatic and stage commanding rapper who simply couldn’t sing. If anybody should have gone home that night it should have been Christina. I haven’t watched an episode since.
Come next season DWTS or The Voice has to move because they’re killing each other. Those series lows aren’t helping anyone.
Thanx for the numbers Nellie. Interesting how you mentioned Uma Thurman couldn’t help Smash. At this stage in the game,I think Smash & Nbc need more than Uma. The way things are trending for Nbc & the way this season has gone for the Peacock network-nothing may help them. I sometimes see Nbc as needing divine intervention & even that may not be enough. Bad decisions after bad decisions. Will this network ever learn from its’ mistakes?
I’ve noticed ratings are down for many shows. The following isn’t my idea but I read it somewhere.Having a hiatus on a regular basis may be part of the problem. What if a network began the fall season running two programs alternatively i.e. 2 shows 22 episodes each. Choose any hour you wish.Let’s say 9pm.First show premieres one week,following week second show premieres. They alternate back & forth (one week one airs,following week the other airs) without repeats & a total of 44 episodes between them.The advantages would be )1-fresh episodes throughout)2-New episodes week in week out,although in effect 2 weeks between whichever one you enjoy)3-No extended hiatus. Now,whether anything like this fan suggested would ever actually happen-who knows? Maybe networks should try something. I don’t know. Just some thoughts.
So if I like show #1… I have to wait two weeks for a new episode, every time? Pass.
DWTS has the clear viewer edge over The Voice and at the rate of these Voice weekly drops DWTS could overtake The Voice in demo before the season ends.
NBC is just a lost network right now and even their new management sector can’t seem to get from under the bus sort to speak. Comcast really needs to evaluate the goings-on at this network or just move NBC to cable once and for all, like they were once proposing. Those numbers they’re scoring for these shows just isn’t doing it justice for them or their management.
Two and a half men was a great show when Charlie was on it. But now it is the worst show on TV. Bring Charlie Sheen back.