TV Ratings: Solid Tuesday starts for FOX’s ‘Dads’ and ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’

Fast National ratings for Tuesday, September 17, 2013.

FOX’s Tuesday comedy block got a one week head-start on the competition and the move paid off with a respectable premiere for “Dads,” good numbers for the launch of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and a strong return for “New Girl.” And although “The Mindy Project” took a big loss from its lead-in and was below its premiere from last fall, that comedy still outperformed most of its spring airings.

Of course, all of those numbers can be expected to take a hit next week when “NCIS,” “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” enter the fray. And even with those big numbers, FOX only won Tuesday among young viewers, while “America’s Got Talent” helped NBC cruise to an easy overall win.

Among adults 18-49, FOX averaged a 2.3 rating for Tuesday night, topping NBC’s 2.0 rating in the key demographic. ABC’s 1.2 key demo rating and the 1.1 key demo rating for CBS followed, while The CW had a 0.6 key demo rating for the night.

Overall, though, NBC averaged an estimated 9.02 million viewers for Tuesday primetime along with a 5.6 rating/9 share, with CBS’ 5.4/9 and 8.15 million viewers taking second. FOX was a distant third with a 3.3/5 and 5.27 million viewers, ahead of the 2.4/4 and 3.775 million viewers for ABC. The CW averaged a 1.0/2 and 1.72 million viewers.

8 p.m. – CBS started primetime in first overall with 10.365 million viewers for an “NCIS” repeat, which also finished second with a 1.3 rating among adults 18-49. FOX got encouraging starts from “Dads” (5.57 million viewers and a 2.1 key demo rating) and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (nearly 6 million and a 2.5 key demo rating), which both easily outperformed last fall’s launch for “Ben and Kate,” though that comedy premiered against stiffer competition and with a “New Girl” lead-in. NBC’s “Million Second Quiz” limped along in third with 5.19 million viewers and a 1.1 key demo rating, at least beating the 3.62 million viewers and 1.0 key demo rating for ABC’s airing of “Iron Man 2.” The CW’s “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” drew 2.38 million viewers and a 0.8 key demo rating.

9 p.m. – “America’s Got Talent” win the 9 p.m. hour for NBC with 10.98 million viewers and tied for first with a 2.4 rating among adults 18-49. CBS’ “NCIS: Los Angeles” was second overall with 7.885 million viewers and fourth with a 1.1 key demo rating. FOX tied for first in the demo and finished third overall with premieres for “New Girl” (5.56 million viewers and a 2.9 key demo rating) and “The Mindy Project” (3.95 million viewers and a 1.9 key demo rating). [“Mindy” perspective: That’s fall’s premiere did a 2.4 in the demo, while the show’s spring finale did a 1.3 in the demo, albeit with a weaker “New Girl” lead-in.] ABC’s “Iron Man 2” averaged 4.02 million viewers and a 1.3 key demo rating. On The CW, “Capture” averaged 1.07 million viewers and a 0.5 key demo rating.

10 p.m. – NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” closed primetime in first with 10.905 million viewers and a 2.5 rating among adults 18-49. CBS’ “Person of Interest” repeat was second with 6.19 million viewers and third with a 1.0 key demo rating, compared to the 3.68 million viewers and 1.2 key demo rating for ABC’s “Iron Man 2.”