TV Ratings: From ‘Rudolph’ to ‘Victoria’s Secret’ CBS leads Tuesday

Fast National ratings for Tuesday, December 4, 2012.

Boasting an atypical programming slate that ran the demographic gamut from “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” to the annual “Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show,” CBS was able to lead Tuesday night among young viewers and dominate overall.

Meanwhile, it was a weak night for FOX’s already troubled slate of comedies, a tough night for ABC’s struggling comedy hour and a better night for NBC’s comedy block.

And while The CW’s slate was way up, we’ll assume preemptions or a Nielsen hiccup was involved.

On to the numbers…

Among adults 18-49, CBS won Tuesday night with a 2.8 rating, topping the 2.4 rating for NBC in the key demographic. FOX averaged a 1.5 key demo rating for a distant third, beating the 1.4 key demo rating for ABC. The CW averaged a 0.5 key demo rating for the night.

Overall, CBS averaged an estimated 10.16 million viewers to go with a 6.1 rating/10 share for Tuesday primetime. NBC was a distant second with 7.33 million viewers and a 4.7/7, still far ahead of the 3.2/5 and 4.82 million viewers for ABC. FOX was fourth with 3.29 million viewers and a 2.0/3, with The CW’s 1.1/2 and 1.63 million viewers trailing.

[Univision averaged 3.68 million viewers and a 1.4 rating among adults 18-49 for Tuesday night.]

8 p.m. – Although it slipped from last week’s Wednesday telecast, “The Voice” averaged 11.33 million viewers and a 3.4 rating among adults 18-49 to win the 8 p.m. hour. CBS was second with 10.09 million viewers and a 2.9 rating among adults 18-49 for “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” which CBS notes was first for the hour among viewers 2-11 and 6-11, not typically the network’s target. A special airing of “Shark Tank” drew 6.86 million viewers and a 1.7 key demo rating, failing to build on its Friday averages for ABC, just in case the network was contemplating an in-week future for the show. FOX was fourth with “Raising Hope” (3.7 million viewers and a 1.4 key demo) and “Ben and Kate” (2.67 million and a 1.1 key demo rating). On The CW, “Hart of Dixie” averaged 1.69 million viewers and a 0.6 key demo rating.

9 p.m. – A repeat of “NCIS” dominated the 9 p.m. hour with 11.065 million viewers for CBS, while finishing a close second with a 2.0 rating among adults 18-49. NBC was second overall and narrowly won the key demo with “Go On” (6.94 million viewers and a 2.5 key demo) and “The New Normal” (4.59 million viewers and a 1.7 key demo), with both shows improving in viewers week-to-week. FOX was third with “New Girl” (4.14 million viewers and a 2.0 key demo rating) and “The Mindy Project” (2.63 million viewers and a 1.4 key demo rating). Without a “Dancing” lead-in, ABC’s “Happy Endings” (3.5 million and a 1.3 key demo) and “Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23” (2.99 million and a 1.2 key demo) struggled. On The CW, “Emily Owens, MD” averaged 1.57 million viewers and a 0.4 key demo rating. [Yes, either The CW got an unnatural boost from preemption or a sampling error, or else The CW may be wondering why it cancelled “Emily Owens.”]

10 p.m. – While it was down from last year’s record-breaking installment, CBS’ “Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show” still drew 9.32 million viewers and a robust 3.5 rating among adults 18-49, more than doubling the recent key demo numbers for “Vegas” in this slot. “Parenthood” was a sturdy second for NBC with 4.9 million viewers and a 1.7 key demo rating, beating the 4.36 million viewers and 1.2 key demo rating for ABC’s “Private Practice.”