TV Ratings: ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,’ rising ‘S.H.I.E.L.D.’ lead Tuesday

Fast National ratings for Tuesday, November 26, 2013.

While some people suggested that pre-Thanksgiving was too early for “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” viewers disagreed and made CBS’ special the night’s top show among young viewers. ABC, meanwhile, won Tuesday night overall with “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” and the “Dancing with the Stars” finale.

I’m still waiting on a clear explanation for why “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” was up by 35 percent week-to-week in total viewers, but it was provisionally the drama’s biggest audience since its premiere. It’s hard to believe that the preemption of “NCIS” freed up that many viewers, but who knows?

The absence of “NCIS” hurt “NCIS: Los Angeles” and “Person of Interest” a little overall, but the CBS dramas held up well among young viewers.

Meanwhile, FOX’s “New Girl” and “The Mindy Project” were up week-to-week among young viewers and, other than “Dads,” FOX’s comedies were all up overall.

Finally, over on The CW, “Supernatural” moved back ahead of “The Originals” overall, while “The Originals” maintained a slim advantage among young viewers.

On to the numbers…

8 p.m. – “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” led the 8 p.m. hour with 11.39 million viewers and a also with a 3.0 rating among adults 18-49. ABC’s “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” averaged 9.3 million viewers and a 2.5 key demo rating for second. NBC’s “The Biggest Loser” finished third with 6.555 million viewers and a 2.0 key demo rating. FOX followed with “Dads” (3.185 million and a 1.2 key demo) and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (3.71 million and a 1.5 key demo). On The CW, “The Originals” averaged 2.315 million viewers and a 1.1 key demo rating.

9 p.m. – The first half of the “Dancing with the Stars” finale averaged 14.16 million viewers to win the 9 p.m. hour overall and finished third with a 2.3 rating among adults 18-49. CBS’ “NCIS: Los Angeles” dropped to 12.19 million viewers, but averaged a steady 2.4 key demo rating for second on the hour. NBC’s “The Voice” was down with 10.03 million viewers and an hour-winning 2.9 key demo rating. There was a huge drop to fourth place and FOX’s “New Girl” (3.51 million and a 1.9 key demo) and “The Mindy Project” (2.65 million and a 1.4 key demo). The CW’s “Supernatural” rose to 2.39 million viewers and a 1.0 key demo rating.

10 p.m. – The “Dancing” finale rose to 15.04 million viewers and a 2.5 rating among adults 18-49 to win the 10 p.m. hour for ABC. CBS’ “Person of Interest” was second with 11.695 million viewers and tied for second with a 2.1 key demo rating. NBC’s “Chicago Fire” also averaged a 2.1 rating in the key demo and finished third with 6.96 million viewers, up from last week in the demo.

UPDATE: I remain a bit astounded by the “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” bump without “NCIS,” as the action drama actually went up in Finals, rising to 9.69 million viewers and a 2.6 rating among adults 18-49. “Supernatural” ticked up to a 1.1 key demo rating and tied “The Originals,” though “The Originals” trimmed a tiny bit off the overall cap, rising to 2.38 million viewers. “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” slipped very slightly overall to 3.69 million viewers and, thus, held onto its overall advantage over “New Girl.” “The Voice” ticked up by 0.1, which at least saved it from slipping below a 3.0 key demo rating. Also rising a tiny bit was “Person of Interest,” which hit 11.89 million viewers and a 2.2 key demo rating for CBS.