Primetime Ratings: 'Rules' Returns Solid Following Season-High 'HIMYM'

'The Following' posts first decline in third week; 'Carrie Diaries' hits series high

By Andrea Morabito -- Broadcasting & Cable, 2/5/2013 11:44:42 AM

The season premiere of CBS' Rules of Engagement returned to a 3.1 rating with adults 18-49 and 9.3 million viewers on Monday at 8:30 p.m., according to Nielsen preliminary ratings. That was down 14% from where its prior season launched in October 2011, on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. following The Big Bang Theory.

Still, it was a solid showing for Rules, which matched the rating for Mike & Molly at 9:30 p.m., which was down 6%. 2 Broke Girls also decreased a tenth to a 3.6 while How I Met Your Mother, fresh off its final season renewal, improved 8% to hit a season high.

Hawaii Five-0 grew a tenth to a 2.3 to help CBS win the night with a 3.1 rating/8 share and 10.1 million total viewers.

On Fox, Bones (2.3) and The Following (2.9) both slid 12%, with Following posting its first decline in its third week. Fox was second overall with a 2.6/7.

ABC was third with a 2.2/6. The Bachelor slipped a tenth to a 2.4 while Castle decreased 10% from its last original two weeks ago to a 1.8.

The Biggest Loser dipped 13% to a 2.0 with Deception down a tenth to a 1.2. NBC placed fourth with a 1.8/5.

On The CW, The Carrie Diaries grew 33% to a series-high 0.8 in its key adults 18-34 demo while 90210 ticked up a tenth to a 0.4.