LOS ANGELES – The new season of “Jon & Kate Plus 8” continues to attract a big audience after its splashy debut last week.

Two episodes of the reality series aired Monday, one drawing 5.9 million viewers and the other 5.5 million. According to Nielsen Media Research figures released Tuesday, they were the most-watched basic cable programs of the night.

The episodes fell short of the 9.8 million viewers that watched last week’s premiere. But they bested the show’s past average audience of fewer than 3 million viewers.

“Jon & Kate Plus 8″ was already TLC’s most popular show. But viewer interest has been boosted by media coverage of Jon and Kate Gosselin’s marital woes.