TV Ratings Opening Monday: 'Two and a Half Men' Soars, CBS Wins; 'Playboy Club Gloomy + 'Castle,' 'Hawaii Five-0' and More

Charlie Sheen might have been high last season, but Two and a Half Men went higher without him and saw series highs.

CBS easily won the first night of the season as Two and Half Men scored nearly 28 million viewers to go along with its 10.3 adults 18-49 rating (leading not only the night, but any scripted show in the 2010-11 season by a wide margin) and was up more than 100% from last year's season premiere.'Men's' premiere was the highest-rated, most-watched scripted season premiere since the September 25, 2005 season two premiere of Desperate Housewives (28.36 million).

With the huge lead-in, 2 Broke Girls got a very nice sampling and scored a 7.0 adults 18-49 rating, which would've easily made it the top scripted show of the 2010-11 season with adults 18-49! Comparisons to last year are unfair since Mike & Molly didn't premiere with a jumbo-sized Two and a Half Men lead-in, but 2 Broke Girls was up 79% versus last season's premiere of Mike & Molly. It was the largest audience for a fall comedy premiere since in September 2001 ("Inside Schwartz").

Earlier in the night How I Met Your Mother had a strong premiere at 8pm with 4.7 adults 18-49 rating, up 31% versus last year's 8pm premiere, its best season premiere numbers ever, and the 8:30p episode was even stronger. Hawaii Five-0 was down only 13% from its series premiere last season, but that will still rankle some retentionistas.

Dancing with the Stars fell 24% from its fall 2010 premiere and had its lowest-rated premiere ever, but Castle fans still celebrate since Castle was up 22% with adults 18-49 from last season's premiere to a 3.3 rating.

Things were much gloomier for NBC. The Sing Off didn't crack a 2.0 rating and the premiere of The Playboy Club managed only a 1.6 adults 18-49 rating. By comparison, last season's premiere of the now cancelled Chase scored a 2.5 adults 18-49 rating in the preliminary numbers.

The season finale of Hell's Kitchen was up a little versus last week and averaged a 2.5 adults 18-49 rating from 8-10p. The 2.6 adults 18-49 rating for the final hour was in line with last season's finale (which aired in December).

Late-night results are below the primetime data.

Broadcast primetime ratings for Monday, September 19, 2011:

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