Revamped 'Two and a Half Men' a ratings hit

9/21/2011

Two and a Half Men had its most-watched episode ever Monday — without Charlie Sheen.

The sitcom drew 27.8 million total viewers to its Season 9 premiere, which introduced Ashton Kutcher as Sheen’s replacement, according to early data from Nielsen.

Kutcher was introduced mid-episode in Men as Walden Schmidt, a lovelorn Internet billionaire who had tried to commit suicide by walking into the ocean near the Malibu beach house once owned by Charlie Harper (Sheen). The episode’s opening revealed that Harper had died after a girlfriend had learned of his infidelity and, it was assumed, pushed him in front of an oncoming train.