Ashton Kutcher's 'Two and A Half Men' Beats Charlie Sheen in German Bow

COLOGNE, Germany - Ashton Kutcher's Two and a Half Men proved more than a match for the Charlie Sheen version in Germany. The premiere of the show's ninth season featuring Kutcher's first appearance more than doubled the ratings for the sitcom, already the most popular U.S. laffer on German TV.

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Commercial network Pro7 aired the first two episodes of the ninth season back-to-back. The first episode drew 4.12 million viewers, compared to 2.5 million for the final episode of the eighth season featuring Charlie Sheen. The second Kutcher episode hit 4.81 million total viewers, more than double the 2.2 million average viewership for Two and A Half Men in Germany last year. In the key 14-49 demographic, the show earned a 32.2 percent share, compared with an average 14 percent last season.

The success mirror's Two and A Half Men's performance stateside, where Kutcher's first episode was watched by 28 million people. U.S. ratings have slid since then, though the show remains a top performer in the 18-49 demographic.