'Men' preems to record 27.8 million for CBS

Ashton Kutcher's debut on CBS laffer 'Two . 5 Men' came an astonishing 27.8 million audiences Monday evening.Ashton Kutcher's debut on CBS comedy "2 . 5 Males" came the show's biggest audience ever - 27.8 million, based on preliminary Nielsen estimations - along with a mammoth 10.3 rating in grown ups 18-49 because the Eye won the outlet evening of year in most key demo groups.The prior levels for that lengthy-running show arrived May 2005, if this adopted the "Everyone Loves Raymond" series finale with an 8.1 demo rating and 24.two million audiences overall. Last season, a cut down one for that series because of the exit of Charlie Sheen, "Males" peaked having a 4.9 rating in 18-49 and 17.9 million audiences overall.Monday's demo score is right for any primetime entertainment telecast because the Oscars in Feb, and tops the 9.2 for May's finale of Fox's "The American Idol Show.Inch And both demo and total-viewer count are the most useful for that season/series premiere of the entertainment series since ABC's second-season opener of "Desperate Average women" in September 2005.The large showing at 9 p.m. for CBS provided substantial sampling for that premiere of half-hour "Two Broke Women" (7./16 in 18-49, 19.two million audiences overall) at its special 9:30 p.m. time before moving to eight:30 in a few days. "Broke Women" beat ABC's "Dancing" by 7 shares in grown ups 18-49 and gave CBS its best showing within the timeslot since "Males" in May 2005 additionally, it came the biggest overall audience for that series premiere of the fall comedy since NBC's "Inside Schwartz" (airing behind "Buddies") in 2001.Also impressing Monday in the cliffhanger return was ABC drama "Castle" (3.3/8 in 18-49, 13.six million audiences overall), that was up nicely over this past year. The mystery series and also the second-season premiere of CBS' "Hawaii Five-" (3.4/8 in 18-49, 12. million audiences overall) made existence a hardship on competing 10 p.m. NBC drama "The Playboy Club" (1.6/4 in 18-49, 5. million audiences overall), which in fact had a modest premiere on which is a tough evening for that internet. Twelve months ago, the series opener of "Chase" did better for NBC (2.3/6 in 18-49).Elsewhere Monday, ABC's "DwtsInch (3.9/10 in 18-49, 18.six million audiences overall) was lower a lot more than 20% from the premiere of last fall but teamed with "Castle" to place ABC ahead for that evening as a whole audiences.CBS opened up using the best premieres score yet for "Generate An Income Met Your Mother" (4.7/13 in 18-49, 11.3 million audiences overall in the regular 8 p.m. slot and 5.1/13 in 18-49 and 12.two million inside a special airing at 8:30), which easily brought its hour among teenagers and provided the internet with roughly 45% time-period improvement over last year's openers of "Mother" and "Rules of Engagement." For that evening, CBS won over runner-up ABC by 5 shares in grown ups 18-49 by 4 shares in 25-54.Fox opted for the growing season finale of summer time series "Hell's Kitchen" (2.5/6 in 18-49, 5.9 million audiences overall) and handle third one of the tv stations for that evening in 18-49. The internet bows dinosaur drama "Terra Nova" in a few days, and veteran drama "House" returns the next week. At NBC, "The Sing-Off" opened up to some 1.9/5 in 18-49 and 5.two million audiences overall from eight to ten p.m. - lagging your competition however the best non-sports demo delivery in the timeframe for that internet since mid-The month of january. In comparison to last year's opening evening, if this was increased by good series premiere scores for "The Big Event,Inch NBC's combo of "Sing-Off" and "Playboy Club" was lower about 30% in 18-49 rating (1.8 versus. 2.6 for that evening). Preliminary 18-49 earnings for that evening: CBS, 5.7/14 ABC, 3.7/9 Fox, 2.5/6 NBC, 1.8/4 Univision, 1.74/ CW, .4/1.As a whole audiences: ABC, 16.9 million CBS, 15.7 million NBC and Fox, 5.a million Univision, 3.8 million CW, 1.a million. Contact Ron Kissell at ron.kissell@variety.com