LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - NBC's "The Voice" powered the network to a Monday night win for the second straight week over a slate of CBS sitcoms that routinely dominated the night in the fall, according to preliminary numbers.
"The Voice" slipped from last week, as did its follow-up, "Smash." But every CBS show hit a season low. It was another big win for fourth-place NBC on a night when most-watched network CBS once looked bulletproof.
"The Voice," airing from 8-10 p.m., had a 5.9/15 rating in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic, down 12 percent from last week. At 10, "Smash" had a 2.8/7, down 26 percent from its premiere last week. Despite the significant slip, "Smash" won its timeslot -- beating CBS's "Hawaii 5-0." In its first two weeks it has earned NBC's two highest in-season ratings since April 2009, not including the Olympics.
"The Voice" beat CBS's slate of comedies by a 64 percent margin. It is currently the highest-rated show of the season on any network -- ahead of typical No. 1 "American Idol" -- but that is because of a huge boost from its season two premiere episode, which aired in the plum spot after the Super Bowl.
Overall, NBC averaged a 4.9/12 in the demo and 13.4 million total viewers. CBS, second in ratings and viewers, averaged a 3.3/8 and 10.3 million.
CBS' "How I Met Your Mother" at 8 slipped 15 percent from last week to a 3.4/10, with 9.1 million total viewers. "2 Broke Girls" at 8:30 slid 14 percent from last week for a 3.7/10 and 10.5 million total viewers. "Two and a Half Men" at 9 ticked down 12 percent for a 3.8/9 and 12.3 million total viewers. "Mike & Molly" at 9:30 drew a 3.3/8 and 11 million total viewers, while "Hawaii 5-0" closed the night at 10 with a 2.6/7 and 9.5 million total viewers.
ABC was third in ratings and viewers with a 2.3/6 in the demographic and 8.3 million. "The Bachelor" at 8 drew a 2.5/6 and 8 million total viewers, followed by "Castle" at 10, which received a 2.0/5 and 8.9 million total viewers.
Fox came in fourth for the night with an average 2.1/5 and 6.7 million total viewers. "House" at 8 received a 2.4/6 and 7.2 million total viewers, while "Alcatraz" at 9 dropped 17 percent for a 1.9/4 and 6.2 million total viewers.
(Editing by Chris Michaud)