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Singing and dancing were more attractive than murder in the tropics Monday as the premiere of NBC’s Broadway drama “Smash” bumped “Hawaii Five-0” from the top of the ratings, according to Nielsen figures released Tuesday by CBS.
“Smash” drew 11.44 million viewers in its debut. “Five-0” drew a season-low 9.97 million viewers. The ABC drama “Castle” finished third in the hour with 8.7 million viewers.
Among adults 18-49 Monday night, “Smash” also recorded solid numbers: It drew 3.8 percent of the total viewing audience and 13 percent of those watching TV at the time.
“Five-0” drew 2.7 percent of the total viewing audience and 7 percent of those watching TV at the time.
Monday’s episode featured a cameo by Mark Dunkerley, president and chief executive officer of show co-sponsor Hawaiian Airlines. He was there to promise to help the “Five-0” crew investigate the brutal murder of a passenger on a Hawaiian flight.
Denby Dung, who was the 2001 Miss Hawaii and is a Hawaiian Airlines flight attendant, also played a flight attendant on the episode and was the one who discovered the dead body in the airline bathroom. Thirteen other employees were extras in the episode.
Counting Monday night, this was the fourth episode in which Hawaiian Airlines employees have appeared.
“Five-0” had not aired an original episode since Jan. 16. CBS will air a new one next week, however.
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