QUICK TAKES - Jan. 14, 2009

Fox’s “24” has gotten off to a modest start in its seventh season, with ratings for its two-hour Monday premiere down 30% among young adults compared with 2007.

The counter-terrorism drama starring Kiefer Sutherland gathered an average of 12.3 million viewers, according to early data from Nielsen Media Research. That was down considerably from the Monday opener two years ago; however, the Monday premiere retained 98% of the total audience from Sunday’s “24” special.

CBS won the night on the strength of its comedy lineup; “Two and a Half Men” was the night’s most-watched show, with 17.1 million. Meanwhile, NBC’s “Superstars of Dance” continued its quick fade, averaging just 7 million viewers over its two-hour run.

-- Scott Collins