Primetime Ratings: Special 'Idol' Helps Fox Win Tuesday

Many shows either tie or fall to new series lows

By Tim Baysinger -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/6/2013 11:48:41 AM

Fox aired a special two-hour Tuesday edition of American Idol, which, while down 11% from last Wednesday's episode to a 3.4 rating with adults 18-49, was enough to win the night in the demo, according to Nielsen overnight numbers.

CBS took second in the demo with a 2.6 rating/7 share, but was first in overall viewers with 15.18 million to Fox's 11.49 million. NCIS and its spinoff NCIS: Los Angeles were each down 3% to a 3.0 and 2.8, respectively. Golden Boy declined 11% from last week's premiere to a 1.6; the show moves to its regular Friday time slot at 9 p.m. beginning March 8.

ABC was in third with a 1.3/4. Celebrity Wife Swap fell 38% from last week premiere, a series high, to its series-low for a Celebrity edition with a 1.5. The Taste dropped another 14% to a 1.2, its lowest rating so far. Body of Proof stayed at its own series-low of 1.2.

NBC's Smash declined 22% from last week to fall to a new series-low 0.7 rating. New comedies Go On and The New Normal also tied their series lows, as Go On was flat at 1.1 and New Normal declined 10% to a 0.9. At 8:30 p.m., a "best of" Betty White's Off Their Rockers drew a 1.1. NBC finished in fourth with a 0.9/3.

The CW rounded out the evening with a 0.4/1. Hart of Dixie was flat in both the net's targeted 18-34 demo with a 0.7 and with 18-49s with a 0.6.