In the battle of television’s leading men Monday night, Red Reddington had the upper hand over Jack Bauer.
The two-hour premiere of “24: Live Another Day” — with Kiefer Sutherland reprising his role as the rogue agent Bauer — drew 8 million viewers in its return to Fox, off about 1 million viewers from the 9 million it averaged during its last season on the air in 2010.
Though that marked a solid return for “24,” it wasn’t enough to top Monday’s other action drama “The Blacklist” — starring James Spader as the creepy Red — which averaged 10.6 million viewers for part one of its two-part season finale.
Both dramas finished behind Monday’s two reality competition shows, however. “The Voice,” featuring performances by new coaches Pharrell Williams and Gwen Stefani, drew 10.8 million viewers, while “Dancing With the Stars” averaged 12.7 million viewers with guest judge Abby Lee Miller of “Dance Moms.”
“24” ranked fifth in viewers for the night, behind an episode of ABC’s “Castle” (8.9 million viewers). The series moves to its regular 9 p.m. time period next Monday.