After a moderately successful premiere, “The Event” suffered a 20% weekly viewership decline to a 2.9 rating and 8.9 million viewers. A show clearly modeled after “Lost,” this is not a good sign. The show’s already dropping into low-rated territory, and serialized shows that require weekly viewing generally fall faster than most. “The Event” is beginning to seem like the latest in a long-line of “Lost” knockoffs cancelled in its first season.
NBC didn’t receive much better news for its other Monday night shows. “Chuck” fell from a 2.1 to a 1.9 rating and 5.5 million viewers. After four seasons of escaping cancellation, this may be the end of the line. At 10 p.m., “Chase” also declined to a 2.1 rating and 6.3 million viewers, good for last place in the hour, indicating a short lifeline.
CBS saw a mixed bag of rises and declines, but overall delivered a solid night. “How I Met Your Mother” rose to a 3.8 rating and 8.9 million viewers, bringing up “Rules of Engagement” to a 3.2 rating and 8.1 million viewers. “Two and a Half Men” pulled in a 4.8 rating and 13.9 million, while “Mike and Molly” slipped at bit to a 3.7 rating and 11.2 million viewers. “Hawaii Five-0” dropped a few tenths to a 3.5 rating and 12.3 million viewers.
Fox rode its reliable workhorse “House” to a 3.8 rating and 10 million viewers, thought that was down 10% from last week. At 9 p.m., “Lone Star” fell to a 1.0 rating and 3.7 million. It’s now competing with the “Whole Truth” and “Outlaw” for the first show cancelled in the new broadcast season.
ABC scored a 4.8 rating and 22 million viewers from “Dancing with the Stars,” and at 10 p.m, “Castle” lured in a 3.2 rating and 12.2 million.
Several shows that aired last night featured overruns, while some markets aired the Monday Night Football Game. Both of these will be later stripped from shows affected, so numbers may rise and fall later in the week.