LOS ANGELES — Ratings for “Two and a Half Men” continued to slide this week as the show aired its fourth episode without fired star Charlie Sheen, Entertainment Weekly reported Tuesday.
Monday night’s episode drew 15.8 million viewers — down seven percent from last week’s, which was watched by 17.7 million people.
The first episode of the show’s ninth season, with new star Ashton Kutcher as recently divorced internet billionaire Walden Schmidt, drew 28.7 million viewers, an all-time record for the CBS sitcom.
Ratings slid 30 percent the following week, with 20.5 million viewers tuning in.
Sheen, 46, was booted from the show in March for his hard-partying ways and his loose-lipped rants against show creator Chuck Lorre.
The actor sued the show’s production company, Warner Bros., for wrongful termination and reached a settlement for an undisclosed amount in late September.