CBS makes Monday moves: ‘We Are Men’ toast, ‘Mike & Molly’ returning

CBS is making big changes to its Monday night lineup after a disappointing start in the new fall television season.

Gone after just two episodes is the new situation comedy “We Are Men,� which was airing in the 8:30 p.m. time slot. “We Are Men,� which followed four men struggling to make connections with women, averaged just 6 million viewers, according to Nielsen.

Also, the raunchy sitcom “2 Broke Girls� is being demoted from 9 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. So far this season, “2 Broke Girls� has averaged about 8 million viewers, which is off 17% compared with a year ago.

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CBS will replace “2 Broke Girls� at 9 p.m. with reruns of its Thursday smash “The Big Bang Theory� for the next few weeks. Then in November, the network will bring “Mike & Molly� off the bench to take custody of that crucial time period.

Staying put for now is the 10 p.m. kidnapping drama “Hostages,� which is averaging just 6.2 million viewers. Last year, “Hawaii Five-0� averaged 8.1 million viewers in that same hour. If the ratings for “Hostages� don’t jump up when viewing from digital video recorders and video-on-demand is factored in, CBS will probably make a change there.

Still delivering for CBS is the long-running sitcom “How I Met Your Mother,� which is in its last season and occupies the 8 p.m. slot. This season, “How I Met Your Mother� is up 3% in both viewers and adults 18-49, which is the coveted demographic for advertisers.

Overall, CBS’s Monday night audience is down 12% viewers and adults 18-49.

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Follow Joe Flint on Twitter @JBFlint.