The initial ratings results from last night's Average Joe 2: Hawaii premiere are in, and although it doesn't look like the series is going to suffer a disastrous Joe Millionaire 2-like fate, it also appears the series will have its work cut out for it if it hopes to match the ratings of the original series.
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According to Nielsen Media Research's preliminary "fast affiliate-based" in-home viewing figures for January 5, 2003, airing versus an original episode of CBS' CSI: Miami and the over-the-air broadcast premiere of Tom Hanks' Castaway on ABC, the debut of Average Joe 2: Hawaii drew 9.6 million viewers and a 4.9/12 rating/share in the Adults 18-49 demographic.
While the ratings fell well short of the 11.2 million viewers and 5.8/15 Adults 18-49 rating/share drawn by the first edition's November 3 premiere, Average Joe 2 did post significant increases in its second half-hour, growing 0.4 of a rating point in 18-49 (to a 5.1 from a 4.7) and 0.7 of a point in 18-34 (to a 5.0 from a 4.3).
The premiere also posted a 7 percent increase versus NBC's average for the slot this season (4.6) and a 20 percent increase versus NBC's regular-program average in the slot last season (4.1).