Fast National ratings for Tuesday, May 8, 2012.
After stumbling through late-spring declines, “The Voice” wrapped up its second season with strong numbers for NBC, lifting the network to a Tuesday win among young viewers. The night still belonged to CBS overall, as “NCIS” and “NCIS: Los Angeles” won their hours by wide margins.
Among other Tuesday notables, FOX’s “New Girl” rose dramatically for its finale, while “Glee” also had a small bounce-back. Meanwhile, The CW’s “L.A. Complex” hit a Tuesday high in viewers, which is saying absolutely nothing.
For the night, NBC averaged a 3.3 rating among adults 18-49, beating CBS’ 2.7 rating in the key demographic. FOX averaged a 2.4 key demo rating, with ABC’s 1.8 key demo rating taking fourth. The CW averaged a 0.4 rating for the night.
Overall, CBS averaged an estimated 14.35 million viewers and a 9.2 rating/15 share, far ahead of NBC’s 5.5/9 and 9.2 million viewers. ABC was third with a 5.6/9 and 8.35 million viewers, while FOX’s 3.4/5 and 5.49 million viewers came in fourth. The CW averaged 999,000 viewers and a 0.7/1 for Tuesday night.
8 p.m. – “NCIS” ruled the 8 p.m. hour for CBS with 17.82 million viewers and a 3.0 rating among adults 18-49. FOX’s “Glee” was second with 6.49 million viewers and a 2.6 key demo rating. For ABC, “Last Man Standing” (6.6 million viewers and a 1.7 key demo rating) was up in viewers and young viewers for its finale, while “Cougar Town” (4.72 million and a 1.5 key demo) was up in young viewers, but down a hair overall. NBC’s “Fashion Star” aired in the 8 p.m. hour this week and averaged 4.045 million viewers and a 1.3 key demo rating, down a little from the show’s usual 10 p.m. averages. The CW’s “90210” averaged 1.32 million viewers and a 0.6 key demo rating.
9 p.m. – CBS won the competitive 9 p.m. hour overall with 14.495 million viewers for “NCIS: Los Angeles,” taking second among adults 18-49 with a 3.0 rating. ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” was second overall with 13.31 million viewers and third with a 2.3 key demo rating. The first hour of NBC’s “The Voice” finale was way up from the comparable hour last week with 10.94 million viewers and a 4.1 key demo rating. FOX was fourth with the “New Girl” finale (5.53 million and a 2.8 key demo) and a “New Girl” repeat (3.44 million and a 1.6 key demo). The CW’s “The L.A. Complex” drew 678,000 viewers and a 0.3 key demo rating.
10 p.m. – “The Voice” won the 10 p.m. hour for NBC overall with 12.25 million viewers and with a 4.6 rating among adults 18-49. CBS was second with 10.73 million viewers and a 2.0 key demo rating for “Unforgettable,” which was actually up in its finale despite the competition. ABC’s “Private Practice,” however, took a big hit against “The Voice” and dropped to 6.09 million viewers and a 1.5 key demo rating.
All ratings information comes from preliminary Fast National Nielsen data, which includes live and same-day DVR viewing. All numbers are subject to change.