Rules of Engagement on CBS

Ratings: Luckily, Bachelor Viewers Are Not Quite So Fickle

• Mar 3, 2009 12:47 PM ET
• by Matt Mitovich
• 13 Comments

Jason Mesnick and Melissa, The Bachelor

Monday's ratings round-up:

8 pm/ET
The two-hour season finale of The Bachelor: Flip-Flop Edition was the night's most watched program, averaging 15.45 million total viewers — the series' best audience since Bob chose Estella in November 2003. CBS' sitcombo secured second, with Big Bang Theory holding steady at 10.94 mil and How I Met Your Mother delivering 11.08 mil.

24's White House siege averaged 11.1 mil over its two-hour run, and gained viewers each half hour. Chuck (6.6 mil) inched up a bit from last week's all-time low.

9 pm
Two and a Half Men trailed The Bachelor with 15.42 million viewers (up 500K from its last fresh outing), while lead-out Rules of Engagement returned to 11.86 mil, which was good for third in its time slot. Heroes matched last week's 7 mil.

10 pm
Proving that car-crash television can work, The Bachelor: After the Rose drew its largest audience ever — 17.5 million viewers. CSI: Miami settled for second with 13.3 mil, down 400 thou. Medium took a big hit, slipping 14 percent to 7.28 mil.

Late Night
The premiere of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon gave NBC its highest-rated Monday Late Night in more than three years (since Jan. 16, 2006). It also bested CBS' Late Late Show and ABC's Jimmy Kimmel by margins of 35 percent and 17 percent, respectively.

Rules of Engagement Star Previews New Season

• Mar 2, 2009 10:19 AM ET
• by Gina DiNunno
• 3 Comments

Patrick Warburton

Relationships are never easy, especially for the guys and gals of Rules of Engagement. TVGuide.com caught up with Patrick Warburton — who plays married man Jeff — to get the scoop on what we can expect from the couples in the new season (premieres March 2 at 9:30 pm/ET on CBS), and what David Spade is like when the cameras are off.

TVGuide.com: What can we expect for this upcoming season?
Patrick Warburton: [Jeff] ends up with a new buddy who is gay, unbeknownst to him, so he has to kind of deal with that. He's played by Orlando Jones, who was fun to work with and a good guy. We also have a new character. His name is Timmy and he's the assistant to Russell. He's very refined and witty and sharp and classy and Spade is on the other end of that spectrum, so you put the two of them together and there's just a great humor and chemistry. So we've opened up the show a little bit.

TVGuide.com: What do you think of Jeff and Audrey's relationship as far as getting under each other's skin?
Warburton: Jeff and Audrey can say horrible things to each other, but it comes from a place where they love and respect each other. Jeff's not a total gripe either. He's also attracted to his wife and that's ... read more

CBS Books Return Engagement for Rules of Engagement

• Jan 7, 2009 01:06 PM ET
• by Matt Mitovich
• 5 Comments

Rules of Engagement

CBS has set a Monday, March 2, premiere date for the third season of Rules of Engagement.

Starring Patrick Warburton, Megyn Price, Oliver Hudson, Bianca Kajlich and David Spade, the sitcom last season averaged nearly 11 million viewers. Once again, it will air Mondays at ... read more

David Spade Becomes a Father

• Sep 4, 2008 06:32 PM ET
• by TV Guide News

David Spade by Eric Charbonneau/WireImage.com

David Spade is now the proud papa of a baby girl born last week in Missouri to Playboy Playmate Jillian Grace.Spade's rep told People , "David and Jillian have been in close contact throughout her pregnancy and he plans to go see the baby during his first break from shooting Rules of Engagement."Spade, who only had a brief relationship with Grace, said back in January that if he was proven to be the baby's father, he would accept responsibility. No word if that means financial support solely or if he wants to be a part of the child's life (or if being a part of her daddy's life means helping him with his stand-up sets). No other details, including the baby's name, were released. — Erin Fox read more

Exclusive: Brian Dennehy Lands "Meaty" Sitcom Role

• Sep 4, 2008 12:19 AM ET
• by Matt Mitovich

Brian Dennehy by Charley Gallay/Getty Images, Patrick Warburton by Cliff Lipson/CBS

Brian Dennehy, a silver-screen vet and six-time Emmy nominee, is bringing his acting chops — and perhaps some savory lamb chops, as well! — to CBS' Rules of Engagement, TVGuide.com has learned exclusively.In one of the sitcom's first Season 3 episodes, Dennehy will guest-star as the father of Patrick Warburton's Jeff. The verbal jabs fly between Jeff's wife, Audrey, and her father-in-law, whose alpha-male antics, unbridled love for meat and blatant chauvinism make his sometimes-gruff son look positively refined.Dennehy's big-screen resume includes the tracking and capture of one John Rambo (in First Blood) and F/X. He won a Golden Globe for the TV presentation of the Arthur Miller classic Death of a Salesman. CBS' Rules returns midseason. — Matt MitovichCrave scoop? E-mail Matt and Mickey at mega_scoop@tvguide.com. read more

NewsRadio, Blu Brothers and Other Announced Releases

• Aug 4, 2008 08:33 PM ET
• by The DVD Team

News Radio courtesy Sony Pictures

New releases announced today, August 4:Band of Brothers (Blu-ray Disc) will be coming out November 11 Good Times - The Complete Series will be coming out October 28 NewsRadio - The Complete Series will be coming out October 28 Rules of Engagement - The Complete 2nd Season will be coming out October 14 Sanford and Son - The Complete Series will be coming out October 28 Visit TVShowsOnDVD.com for the complete stories on these and other news items. read more

Ratings: Which Season Finales Fueled Season Highs?

• May 20, 2008 05:28 PM ET
• by TV Guide News

House by Greg Gayne/Fox, Bones by Isabella Vosmikova/Fox

The season is winding down, folks. Monday's numbers:8 pm/ETDWTS was on top with 18.84 million total viewers, up 570K week-to-week. Bones scored a season high 10.15 mil, up 750 thou. CBS' Big Bang (7.36 mil, -500K) and Mother (7.92 mil, -a mil) each slipped. NBC's already-anemic Gladiators (four mil for the night) dropped 25 percent from its return. Gossip Girl delivered three mil, its second-largest audience ever and its best Monday in key demos.9 pmHouse gained 1.3 mil to hit a Monday high of 16.16 mil. CBS' Men (14.81 mil, +1.1 mil) and Rules (a season-high 12.25 mil, +1.5 mil) each enjoyed their best numbers since November. The Bachelorette averaged 8.75 mil over its two-hour premiere. One Tree Hill had its best Monday ever, drawing 3.15 mil.10 pmCSI: Miami surged 17 percent from last week, to 16.07 mil (its best audience since March 24).Got any burning questions coming out of a season finale? Share them in comments.Related:• Eric Millegan Dishes on a Shocking Bones Revelat... read more

Fall TV: CBS Eyes Several Switcheroos

• May 14, 2008 03:35 PM ET
• by TV Guide News

Scott Foley, Dennis Haysbert and Max Martini in The Unit by Cliff Lipson/CBS

CBS has sent out its fall lineup, and in addition to adding five new series, the Eye is shuffling around three returning favorites.Old Christine, which to the surprise of many was plucked from ABC's anxious grasp and kept on at CBS, now will lead off Wednesday nights. That sets the table for Project Gary, a new comedy starring Jay Mohr as a recent divorcé. With Rules of Engagement on hold until midseason, Worst Week (Jericho's Kyle Bornheimer and Kitchen Confidential's Erinn Hayes are newly engaged) will join the Monday comedy block.CBS Tuesday still starts out with NCIS, but then continues with The Mentalist (starring Simon Baker) and Without a Trace (landing on a new night).Claiming Trace's Thurday-at-10 spot is Jerry Bruckheimer's Eleventh Hour. One of the perhaps oddest fits has The Ex List, a big ol' romantic dramedy, filling the Friday gap between Ghost Whisperer and Numbers.The Unit now calls Sundays-at-10 home. Harper's Island, a murder mystery, debuts midseason. —... read more

Patrick Warburton on the Rules of Deadpan

• May 5, 2008 04:00 AM ET
• by Megan Walsh-Boyle

Patrick Warburton, Rules of Engagement

Patrick Warburton proves himself a master of deadpan again and again, whether as Elaine's boyfriend Puddy on Seinfeld, the none-too-bright superhero The Tick, or in his current gig, playing macho spouse Jeff on Rules of Engagement (Mondays at 9:30 pm/ET, CBS). TV Guide: Of all the characters you've played who do you most relate to?Patrick Warburton: I guess The Tick, only because I see myself as a superhero. [Laughs]TV Guide: You're best known for that deadpan delivery that made Puddy so popular…Warburton: Jeff is certainly a departure [from Puddy]. He's still a guy's guy but at the same time he can be manipulative and calculating. Puddy was very singular and dimensioned, so I try to stay away from things that are exactly that. But, whatever, you know, I've got four kids to put read more

Video Q&A: Rules of Engagement's Oliver Hudson

• Apr 21, 2008 02:12 PM ET
• by Matt Mitovich

In this new Up Close video Q&A, Oliver Hudson talks about the Rules of Engagement-versus-Old Christine slugfest, the careful choreography of a sitcom nude scene, how his sister Kate deals with those pesky paparazzi, and more. read more