RATINGS RECAP: 2/28/11

ABC
8:00 The Bachelor
Viewers: 11.3 million, 18-49 demo: 3.5
10:00 Castle
Viewers: 10.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.8 

CBS
8:00 How I Met Your Mother
Viewers: 9.2 million, 18-49 demo: 3.4
8:30 Mad Love
Viewers: 7.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.7
9:00 Two and a Half Men (Repeat)
Viewers: 11.6 million, 18-49 demo: 3.3
9:30 Mike & Molly
Viewers: 11.4 million, 18-49 demo: 3.4
10:00 Hawaii Five-0 (Repeat)
Viewers: 7.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9

NBC
8:00 Chuck
Viewers: 5.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
9:00 The Cape
Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
10:00 Harry's Law
Viewers: 9.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8

FOX
8:00 House
Viewers: 11.0 million, 18-49 demo: 3.8
9:00 The Chicago Code
Viewers: 8.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1

ABC was all new on Monday night with a successful showing. At 8pm, The Bachelor climbed nine tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo for season highs. The climb is not too surprising as the finale nears. At 10pm, Castle was up 1.1 million viewers and two tenths in the demo, notching a rare demo win with CBS's Hawaii Five-0 in repeats. The demo for Castle is the best since October 25 and it could be even stronger when it has a Dancing lead-in again in a few weeks, especially when CBS is in repeats. This has a solid audience but it still seems heavily influenced by lead-ins and competition.

CBS was partly new on Monday night. At 8pm, How I Met Your Mother was down a tenth in viewers and the demo, dropping for the fourth consecutive new episode. These numbers should be a little higher for a veteran show without the nearing competition of Dancing with the Stars. New show Mad Love was also down a tenth in viewers and the demo for its third episode. It has definitely leveled off but is below the numbers Rules of Engagement was pulling. Still, with CBS's suddenly tenuous comedy situation, that may be enough. A repeat of Two and a Half Men was strong as CBS needs it to be with no more new episodes this season. At 9:30pm, Mike & Molly was up two tenths in viewers and the demo as it seems like it can still do solidly with a Men repeat as a lead-in. A repeat of Hawaii Five-0 finished second in the demo, ahead of a new Harry's Law on NBC.

NBC was all new but low as usual. At 8pm, Chuck was down a tenth in viewers and even in the demo from last week. It has now gotten a 1.7 in the demo for five consecutive weeks. If nothing else, at least it's consistent for NBC. The Cape aired its season (and most certainly series) finale to very low numbers that were even with last week. This has managed to be a bigger bust than The Event, which returns for a spring run next week. At 10pm, Harry's Law was up seven tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo from last week. Though it still finished third in the demo even with CBS in repeats, the solid total viewer number has to continue to make NBC happy.

FOX had solid results for its dramas. At 8pm, House was up six tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo from last week, posting an outright win in the demo for the hour. This show has fallen from its peak but remains a reliable draw for FOX. At 9pm, new series The Chicago Code was up a tenth in viewers and even in the demo. After its big second week fall, FOX has to be happy that it has leveled off in the past couple weeks. It may earn at least a half-season renewal with these steady numbers.