14 DAY TRIAL // People really wanted to see how Ashton Kutcher did on the first episode of the new season, the ninth, of “Two and a Half Men.” In fact, they wanted to see him so badly that the season premiere set a new record for the series, figures confirm.
The episode, which aired Monday evening, saw Charlie Sheen’s character Charlie Harper die a most violent death, which was only to be expected given the circumstances around the actor’s departure from the series.
It also featured Kutcher’s debut on the show, as Internet millionaire Walden Schmidt, as we also noted the other day.
In other words, fans of “Men” had a lot to look forward to, so they tuned in by the millions to see the first episode, AceShowbiz informs, citing Nielsen figures.
“Around 27.2 million viewers tuned in to the sitcom’s ninth season premiere on Monday, September 19, Nielsen noted. It also posted a 10.3 rating in the 18-49 demographic,” the e-zine reports.
Ashton did better than Charlie ever did throughout 8 whole seasons – but whether he has what it takes to keep it up is an entirely different matter.
“The numbers are extremely good because any other episode in the first eight seasons when Sheen was the star could not top it up,” AceShowbiz further writes.
“The sitcom’s previous best came in May 2005 following the final episode of ‘Everybody Loves Raymond.’ Additionally, it is rarely seen for a scripted show these days to generate such big audience,” explains the e-zine.
While fans may have helped “Men” kick a new season off to an excellent start, critics didn’t take too kindly on Kutcher’s addition to the series.
The writing was lame and uninspired, he wasn’t funny and it seemed as if producers were trying to make fans think nothing had changed since Sheen’s departure when, in fact, a lot had – these are the loudest complaints from critics, as summed up by ScreenCrave.
In the end, even if critics continue to hate Ashton’s character and his take on it, it’s the fans who will decide the fate of the show. Speak your mind on the season premiere in the comments section below.