Fox sneaked into the fall TV season with high numbers for its new thriller "Prison Break" on Monday.
The two-hour premiere, which included the hour-long pilot directed by "Rush Hour's" Brett Ratner, rounded up an average of 10.5 million viewers, giving Fox its most-watched summer Monday since 1998, according to early data from Nielsen Media Research.
"Prison Break" performed especially well among the 18-to-49 demographic -- a key statistic for advertisers -- and tied the ratings for the premiere this summer of Fox's reality contest "So You Think You Can Dance."
"Prison Break" is the first new fall series to appear in prime time this season. The rest of Fox's lineup will debut after Labor Day. Officially, the season starts Sept. 19.
