Fast National ratings for Tuesday, January 4, 2011.
The return of original episodes of the “NCIS” shows reasserted order to the Tuesday night ratings, with CBS dominating the competition in the Fast Nationals, and the original “NCIS” drawing its largest audience ever. Meanwhile, ratings for ABC’s “V” slipped about 10 percent from its season premiere, which would be more acceptable if the premiere had done better.
For the night, CBS averaged a 3.5/9 rating/share in the 18-49 demographic, and left the competition in the dust in total viewers with an average of 17.4 million viewers in primetime. Thanks to “The Biggest Loser,” NBC was second with a 2.8/7 and 7.7 million viewers. FOX was third with a 1.7/4 and 4.9 million, followed by ABC with a 1.5/4 and 5.5 million, and the CW trailing in fifth with a 0.4/1 and 937,000 viewers.
8 p.m. — Original recipe “NCIS” steamrolled everybody, with a 4.5/12 demographic rating, and a best-ever 21.9 million viewers overall. The first hour of “The Biggest Loser” on NBC was second with a 3.0/8 and 8.3 million, followed by a “Glee” repeat on FOX (1.7/4, 4.7 million), the flagging “No Ordinary Family” on ABC (1.5/4, 5.4 million) and a “One Tree Hill” repeat on the CW (0.4/1, 1.1 million).
9 p.m. — “NCIS: Los Angeles” was first in the hour, with a 3.7/9 and 18 million viewers, but dipped just enough in from its parent show to make things competitive in the demographic with “Biggest Loser” (3.3/8, 9.1 million). Week two of “V” season two on ABC was off a little over 10 percent from last season’s modest premiere ratings, with a 1.9/5 and 5.8 million viewers. FOX’s “Million Dollar Money Drop” (1.8/5, 5.1 million) was fourth, followed by a CW “Life Unexpected” repeat (0.3/1, 804,000).
10 p.m. — CBS’ “The Good Wife” (2.3/6, 12.2 million) won a narrow demo victory over NBC’s “Parenthood” (2.2/6, 5.6 million), with ABC’s ratings-challenged “Detroit 1-8-7” (1.1/3, 5.2 million) a distant third.
All ratings information comes from preliminary Fast National Nielsen data, which includes live and same-day DVR viewing. All numbers are subject to change.