RATINGS RECAP: 11/8/10

ABC
8:00 Dancing with the Stars
Viewers: 20.0 million, 18-49 demo: 4.0
10:00 Castle
Viewers: 10.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5

CBS
8:00 How I Met Your Mother
Viewers: 8.9 million, 18-49 demo: 3.5
8:30 Rules of Engagement
Viewers: 8.2 million, 18-49 demo: 3.0
9:00 Two and a Half Men
Viewers: 13.6 million, 18-49 demo: 4.3
9:30 Mike & Molly 
Viewers: 10.8 million, 18-49 demo: 3.5
10:00 Hawaii Five-0 
Viewers: 10.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.9

NBC
8:00 Matt Lauer Reports
Viewers: 7.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
9:00 The Event
Viewers: 5.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
10:00 Chase
Viewers: 4.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

FOX
8:00 House
Viewers: 9.6 million, 18-49 demo: 3.7
9:00 Lie to Me
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8 

ABC had a pretty steady Monday to start Week 8. Dancing with the Stars remained a powerhouse as it was up a tenth in viewers and even in the demo from last week. With a few weeks remaining in this cycle, the franchise is as popular as ever. Castle followed and was down half a million viewers and two tenths in the demo, tying a season low in the demo. This is somewhat surprising given that Dancing was steady.

CBS was pretty steady across the board on Monday viewers-wise, but the demo dropped. How I Met Your Mother was even in viewers but down two tenths in the demo but Rules of Engagement was down half a million viewers and four tenths in the demo. This is the wrong direction after the show posted nice gains last week. Two and a Half Men followed and was even in viewers but down four tenths in the demo but Mike & Molly was also even in viewers and down just a tenth in the demo, which is good news for the freshman sitcom. Finally, Hawaii Five-0 was down seven tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo, tying a series low for viewers. It seems that this show will regularly hover around 10-11 million viewers and a 3 in the demo, which is fine but not nearly as strong as CBS hoped.

NBC had more bad news for its freshmen series. 8pm regular Chuck was preempted for a highly publicized Matt Lauer interview with former President George W. Bush. It was up from Chuck's normal numbers in total viewers but down in the demo and didn't pull nearly as good numbers as I thought it would. The Event followed and hit a series low in both viewers and the demo, dipping below 6 million and a 2 for the first time. The week off probably didn't help this show and it's approaching major bust territory at this point as it was behind even FOX in the demo. Chase followed and also hit series lows in viewers and the demo. It is pulling worse numbers than the cancelled Undercovers at this point. Will NBC regret renewing these series for a full season? Will they keep their word? 

FOX was finally all-new again on Monday. House was down a tenth in viewers and even in the demo from the last new episode on Oct 18. The total viewers number is a season low for this aging drama. Lie to Me  was up nearly a million viewers and two tenths in the demo from two weeks ago, when it followed a repeat of House, but it was down from the last time it followed a new House episode. FOX is hoping The Chicago Code can be a bigger success than Lone Star was or Lie to Me is in this timeslot.