New series stumbling early on

The baseball playoffs have scored big ratings for Fox, but among new series, there appear to be few extra-base hits in terms of total viewers, according to ratings data released by Nielsen Media Research on Tuesday.

CBS has the most to feel hopeful about with the performances of its Monday comedy, “Two and a Half Men,” and dramas, “Cold Case, “Joan of Arcadia” and “Navy NCIS.” One of the network’s other new dramas, “The Brotherhood of Poland, N.H.” is facing the cancellation ax, while “The Handler” is having trouble competing with repeats of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” in the 10 p.m. time slot on Fridays.

While NBC continues to proclaim that “Coupling” is the top-rated new comedy in the cherished 18-to-49 demographic, the comedy is clearly not the hit the network was projecting on its “Must See Thursday” lineup, registering far below the hits “Friends,” “Will & Grace” and “ER.”

The network has, however, ordered a full season of its new Monday drama, “Las Vegas.”

Other new series that are stumbling include NBC’s “Miss Match,” ABC’s dramatically revamped “L.A. Dragnet,” “Threat Matrix” and “Karen Sisco.”

UPN, meanwhile, has given a vote of confidence to two of its new comedies, “Eve” and “All of Us.” The network has picked up both series for the rest of the season, making them the second and third new series to receive a full-season order.

Fox recently ordered a full season of its hit “The O.C,” which should start up sometime after baseball’s World Series.

-- Greg Braxton