The winter hiatus (mostly) came to an end Monday night, with original offerings from NBC, the launch of ABC’s midseason Monday, featuring The Bachelor and Celebrity Wife Swap, and a victorious return for the CBS line-up, which won the night in adults 18-49 and viewers.
The Bachelor, now in its 16th season, returned to exceptionally low ratings for the franchise. The two-hour premiere averaged 7.7 million viewers and a 2.4 rating among adults 18-49 — a 17 percent drop from last January’s midseason premiere featuring the return of Brad Womack. Celebrity Wife Swap fared much better, averaging a 2.4 in adults 18-49 (higher than two recent Castle episodes) and solidifying the network’s a second place finish for the night.
Full story: ‘Bachelor’ premiere down 17 percent, CBS wins against bowl competition