Ratings: CBS starts to unravel as ‘Hostages,’ ‘We Are Men,’ ‘Mom’ all falter

What CBS is starting to experience in terms of their Monday-night programming, or really their entire lineup in some ways, is not the fault of any one show. It has more to do with what their model has been of relying on the same hit shows year after year. Eventually something is going to falter if you don’t have a smash hit, and on Monday nights, the cracks are starting to show.

The top-rated show for the network is “How I Met Your Mother,” but a half-hour cannot carry the night. They used to be benefited by having another show at 9:00 that was also strong, but “2 Broke Girls” (which posted a series low 2.2 rating in the 18-49 demographic) has almost fallen apart thanks to no publicity and not really doing anything to bring in new fans. Add to that a pair of new series in “We Are Men” (1.8) and “Mom” (2.0), and you suddenly have a network that could use “Mike & Molly” back on the air again. One of these two comedies will surely be gone by midseason.

Speaking of shows that will be gone soon, CBS’ biggest flaw is with a show called “Hostages” that is sadly just a case of either bad promotion, or being on broadcast TV rather than cable. It was one of the strongest pilots of the year, but a 1.2 on CBS is simply not acceptable. This will be the first show of their season to be canceled, and Monday nights will likely sink some more until “Intelligence” gives this a boost in the spring.

Elsewhere, there are some sliding ratings, as well. “Sleepy Hollow” fell to a 2.7 one week after getting renewed for another season, and The CW proved yet again that it cannot make Monday nights happen as both “Hart of Dixie” and “Beauty and the Beast” struggled on their way to 0.4 ratings. This is about what we expected given the competition, but the latter in particular will have a hard time trying to survive the night where shows go to die.

What do you think about the falling numbers, and which one of these shows do you think will be the first to get the guillotine? Be sure to share your thoughts below!

Photo: The CW