Final Broadcast Ratings: February 19, 2015

It was the end of one era and, perhaps, the start of another, on CBS Thursday night as the long running TWO AND A HALF MEN closed the books on over 260 episodes and THE ODD COUPLE premiered with episode one.

TWO AND A HALF MEN closed its run with the best numbers of the season, drawing 13.5 million viewers and a 3.2 rating in Adults 18-49. It is not quite the huge numbers we see for a lot of other classic series finales, but considering where the series has been, in the ratings, the last couple of seasons, it is still a good number.

Preceding MEN was the third incarnation of the comedy THE ODD COUPLE. Matthew Perry and Thomas Lennon hope to succeed where Tony Randall and Jack Klugman did, and Ron Glass and Demond Wilson didn't. The start is rather promising as the premiere held onto 79% of the BIG BANG lead in, in total viewers, and 70% of the demo. Both numbers are better than what MOM had done all season. If the series fails, its not because viewers reject the remake, but because the product is sub-par.

CBS was the #1 network of the night, grabbing the most viewers and tying ABC in the A18-49 ratings. BIG BANG was the most watched and top rated program of the night, but the shine is coming off the top rated comedy, as the A18-49 rating was just a 4.4. The season started out with a 5.4 rating, on Monday nights.

All three ABC dramas saw the number go up from last week. The network won the demo in two of the three hours, losing the 8 p.m. slot to the CBS comedies.

FOX to it on the chin as AMERICAN IDOL hit a season low, with a 2.1 demo rating. BACKSTROM, now just a lame duck series, lost 25% in the demo, from last week's episode.

NBC needs to scrap the Thursday night line up and return THE BLACKLIST to Monday Nights. The two new series both tanked, again, and they are dragging down THE BLACKLIST with it. At the very least, move THE BLACKLIST to 10 p.m., where it could win the time slot, against ELEMENTARY and the new ABC drama, AMERICAN CRIME.

Final L+SD Network Averages:

ABC - 8.9 million viewers, 2.8 rating in A18-49

CBS - 12.4 million viewers, 2.8 rating in A18-49

CW - 1.2 million viewers, 0.6 rating in A18-49

FOX - 6.2 million viewers, 1.5 rating in A18-49

NBC - 4.9 million viewers, 1.1 rating in A18-49

Time	Net	Program	P2+*	A18-49	L+3^	L+7^
8:00	ABC	Grey's Anatomy	8.13	2.5	12.50(3.7)	13.60(4.0)
9:00	ABC	Scandal	9.62	3.3	13.80(4.6)	14.50(4.8)
10:00	ABC	How To Get Away With Murder	8.86	2.9	14.30(4.4)	15.40(4.8)
8:00	CBS	The Big Bang Theory	17.49	4.5
8:30	CBS	The Odd Couple (SP)	13.57	3.1
9:00	CBS	Two And A Half Men (SF)	13.52	3.2
10:00	CBS	Elementary	8.21	1.5
8:00	CW	The Vampire Diaries	1.41	0.7
9:00	CW	Reign	1.03	0.4
8:00	FOX	American Idol	8.98	2.1
9:00	FOX	Backstrom	3.54	0.9
8:00	NBC	The Slap	3.96	0.8
9:00	NBC	The Blacklist	7.71	1.7	12.40(3.1)	13.40(3.4)
10:00	NBC	Allegiance	3.32	0.9

* - total viewers, in millions
^ - projected Live+3 and Live+7:
millions of viewers(A18-49 demo rating)

* - in millions