Prime-Time Metered Market Tuesday Ratings: CBS Wins; Strong Initial Sampling for ABC's V

-Yesterday's Winners:
NCIS (CBS), V (ABC), The Biggest Loser (NBC), Dancing With the Stars (ABC), NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS), The Good Wife (CBS)

-Stick to The Summer, Please:
So You Think You Can Dance (Fox)

-Yesterday's Losers:
90210 (CW), Melrose Place (CW), The Forgotten (ABC), The Jay Leno Show (NBC)

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-Ratings Breakdown:
CBS led the Tuesday overnight troops as usual, but its dominance over No. 2 ABC, which included the series-premiere of V, was a less extensive 27 percent. Third overall was NBC, which is always on the map among adults 18-49 thanks to The Biggest Loser, followed by Fox and The CW.

Highly promoted V got off to a positive start on ABC with a second-place 8.7 rating/14 share in the overnights from 8-9 p.m. Compared to the most recent performance of former time period occupant Shark Tank (3.8/ 6 on Oct. 20), that was an increase of a massive 129 percent. Normally dominant NCIS on CBS led the hour with an 11.2/17 in the overnights, but anything is possible once the adult 18-49 results arrive. Consider this a “winning” start for V. Too bad, however, that ABC has chosen to break up the season of V into two parts. For more, click here. http://pifeedback.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/98010991/m/276104252?r=876107252#876107252

Leading out of V was the live Dancing With the Stars Results Show, with a first-place 9.8/15 in the overnights at 9 p.m., followed by on-the-fence crime drama The Forgotten at a second-place 4.9/ 8 at 10 p.m. Comparably, retention for The Forgotten out of the second half of Dancing With the Stars (10.0/15 at 9:30 p.m.) was just 49 percent. As for the Dancing With the Stars, Michael Irvin and Mark Dacascos were, as predicted, sent packing. But the voters sure do not seem to like Aaron Carter.

Leading out of NCIS on CBS, of course, was the successful combination of spin-off NCIS: Los Angeles (#2: 9.6/15) and older-skewing The Good Wife (#1: 8.9/15) from 9-11 p.m.

NBC had a typical Wednesday care of two-hours of The Biggest Loser (5.1/ 8 from 8-10 p.m.), which built in every half-hour and always makes a positive impact among adults 18-49, followed by The Jay Leno Show (#3: 4.2/ 7 at 10 p.m.), which always generates its largest audience on Tuesday. Sadly, though, it is still not much. Here is the half-hour breakdown for The Biggest Loser:

The Biggest Loser (NBC)
8:00 p.m.: 4.5/ 7 (#3)
8:30 p.m.: 5.0/ 8 (#3)
9:00 p.m.: 5.4/ 8 (#3)
9:30 p.m.: 5.6/ 9 (#3)

Over at Fox, another two hours of So You Think You Can Dance took a major backseat to competing The Biggest Loser, with a 3.6/ 5 from 8-10 p.m. Comparably, that will probably translate into a disappointing mid-2 rating among adults 18-49. Here is the half-hour breakdown:

So You Think You Can Dance (Fox)
8:00 p.m.: 3.5/ 5 (#4)
8:30 p.m.: 3.7/ 6 (#4)
9:00 p.m.: 3.7/ 6 (#4)
9:30 p.m.: 3.4/ 5 (#4)

In the distant No. 5 spot was The CW's combination of 90210 (1.4/ 2) and Melrose Place (1.1/ 2). Returning Heather Locklear, who will be reprising her role as Amanda Woodward in two weeks, sure has her work cut out “saving” Melrose Place again.

Tuesday 11/03/09

HH
Rtg/Shr

CBS 9.9/16
ABC 7.8/12
NBC 4.8/ 8
Fox 3.6/ 5
CW 1.2/ 2

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-Note: Comparisons to the year-ago evening, which was Election Night Tuesday for the Presidential race, were not included.

Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat)

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