'Heroes' returns lower; CBS wins Monday

The two-hour premiere of NBC's top drama "Heroes" was down 25% compared with last year's one-hour opener, taking an expected hit following a creatively middling second season and an extended nine-month hiatus prompted by the writers strike. 

The "Heroes" debut (9.9 million viewers, 4.9 preliminary adults 18-49 rating and a 12 share -- video clips here) and matched its lowest original episode rating ever. ("Heroes" was actually down even more, 33%, if you include NBC's heavily protested move last fall to roll its Saturday encore rating into its premiere). Clip show lead-in "Heroes: Countdown to the Premiere" (6 million, 2.6/7)  placed third in the hour.

NBC's weaker standings gave CBS a clear opening to lead the night, and the network took it: CBS won its first premiere week Monday since 2002, while NBC placed third.

Proving that not every broadcast show returns weaker than last year, CBS' "Two and a Half Men" (14.9 million, 5.3/12) -- whose repeats were on like a ratings champ nightlight during strike -- returned up 10% from last year to top the night with its best premiere in four years.

"How I Met Your Mother" (9.7 million, 4.0/10) retained the newfound energy the show built poststrike (Britney Spears, etc) and came back a striking 21% higher than last season. The second-season debut of "The Big Bang Theory" (9.4 million, 3.6/10) was down a tenth, however.

CBS' critically well-regarded new 9:30 p.m. series "Worst Week"  (11 million, 3.8/9) lost 21% of its "Men"  lead-in, putting a pothole in CBS' comedy block momentum that otherwise built with each successive show. It was also down 16% from the time period last year. Still, the relatively sluggish "Week" did little to hurt the 10 p.m premiere of "CSI: Miami" (16.9 million, 5.1/12), which was nonetheless up 11% from last season.

Overall, this premiere week kickoff marks a very impressive night for CBS that should give some hope (or sleepless nights) to rivals wondering if 2008-09 is inherently going to be lower than last year because of increased DVR penetration and the ongoing rise of cable.

In second place, ABC premiered a two-hour "Dancing With the Stars" (21.1 million, 5.3/13), which was down only 9% from last year and was the night's most-watched show. In fact, this was ABC's most-viewed premiere week Monday since 1999. The 10 p.m. return of "Boston Legal" (9.4 million, 2.5/6) matched last season's bow to place last in the hour. 

Fox placed fourth, with "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" (5.8 million, 2.2/6) the lowest-rated show among the major broadcasters, growing a tenth from last week, followed by "Prison Break" (5.9 million, 2.5/6).

The premiere week competition hit the CW, whose  fourth week of "Gossip Girl" (3.4 million, 1.6/4) took a rough knock, down 20% from last week (but down only 9% in its target W18-34 demo). "One Tree Hill" also declined (3.1 million, 1.5/3) down 17%.