RATINGS RECAP: 1/31/11

Check back later tonight for the monthly Freshman Scorecard featuring all the new series from January!

ABC
8:00 The Bachelor
Viewers: 9.7 million, 18-49 demo: 3.2
10:00 Castle (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7

CBS
8:00 How I Met Your Mother (Repeat)
Viewers: 7.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5
8:30 Rules of Engagement (Repeat)
Viewers: 7.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5
9:00 Two and a Half Men (Repeat)
Viewers: 11.2 million, 18-49 demo: 3.2
9:30 Mike & Molly (Repeat)
Viewers: 9.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5
10:00 Hawaii Five-0 (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8

NBC
8:00 Chuck
Viewers: 5.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
9:00 The Cape
Viewers: 5.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
10:00 Harry's Law
Viewers: 11.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1

FOX
8:00 Human Target
Viewers: 7.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
9:00 Lie to Me
Viewers: 7.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2

ABC started the last day in January off with a new edition of The Bachelor which was up four tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo for season highs. Just as in years past, The Bachelor seems to be gaining steam as its season wears on. It also didn't hurt that CBS comedies were in repeats and House wasn't on. A repeat of Castle followed at 10pm to above average repeat numbers. CBS was entirely in repeats and strong as usual. In wake of Charlie Sheen's latest crisis, CBS ordered additional episodes of Rules of Engagement and Mike & Molly to fill the upcoming void.

NBC had another mixed bag in terms of ratings results. At 8pm, Chuck was down half a million viewers and two tenths in the demo. This is a surprising drop since there wasn't too much competition at 8pm. It tied a low in the demo and is not a strong performance for this always on-the-fence show. At 9pm, The Cape was down another six tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. With the drops continuing, it doesn't seem likely that the superhero show will see a second season. But the news was better at 10pm yet again as Harry's Law was up six tenths in viewers and even in the demo in its third week. It still skews old but has been a model of consistency for NBC. Next week it will face both a new Hawaii Five-0 and Castle for the first time but the legal drama has found an audience. 

FOX preempted House with a new episode of the on-the-fence drama Human Target. While it was below House levels, it actually reached a season high and could help the show's middling chances. It will get another chance to prove itself after American Idol this Wednesday. Speaking of on-the-fence dramas for FOX, the season finale of Lie to Me followed at 9pm and was down six tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo from last week's season highs. This show had a burst at the end of the season but will it be enough? We probably won't know about the status of Human Target or Lie to Me until May and the performance of new drama The Chicago Code, which launches at 9pm next Monday, will be a factor.