Tuesday ratings: 'Mentalist,' 'Fringe,' 'Eli' steady

Freshman shows held steady Tuesday night as Fox's "Fringe" and CBS' "The Mentalist" maintained their course and heading, as did the second week of ABC's "Eli Stone."

Fox continued to win the night, with "House" up a couple notches this week to post its best rating since its premiere (12.9 million viewers, 5.5 preliminary adults 18-49 rating and a 15 share, according to Nielsen) and "Fringe" unchanged (9.1 million, 4.0/10), both topping their respective hours.

CBS placed second as "NCIS" slipped 8% (17.1 million, 3.6/10) from last week's season high, yet "The Mentalist" was flat (15.3 million, 3.4/9) and "Without a Trace" climbed a rung (11.6 million, 2.6/7).

In third, NBC declined a couple tenths across the board, with a two-hour "Biggest Loser: Families" (7.3 million, 2.9/10) followed by 10 p.m.-winner "Law & Order: SVU" (9.4 million, 3.5/10).

Fourth-place ABC replaced "Opportunity Knocks" with a "Dancing with the Stars" performance recap show (9.3 million, 2.0/6) that performed stronger at 8 p.m. The actual "Dancing" results show (16 million, 3.8/9) was also up 15% from last week, though "Stone" continued to rank last at 10 p.m. (8.5 million, 2.2/6).

Without "90210" a repeat this week, The CW's "Privileged" fell 36% (1.5 million, 0.7/2) from its last original airing, an episode that went up against the presidential debates and had the time period to itself.

Hey look, a chart!

TUESDAY Oct. 21, 2008 Rate/share 8-8:30 8:30-9 9-9:30 9:30-10 10-10:30 10:30-11 2.7/7 Dancing With the Stars (recap) 9.3 mil, 2.0/6 Dancing with the Stars: Results 16 mil, 3.8/9 Eli Stone 8.5 mil, 2.2/6 3.2/9 NCIS 17.1 mil, 3.6/10 The Mentalist 15.3 mil, 3.4/9 Without a Trace 11.6 mil, 2.6/7 3.1/8 The Biggest Loser 7.3 mil, 4.6/7 Law & Order: SVU 9.4 mil, 3.5/11 4.7/13 House 12.9 mil, 5.5/15 Fringe 9.1 mil, 4.0/10 No programming 0.7/2 90210 - R 1.3 mil, 0.6/2 Privileged 1.5 mil, 1.1/2 No programming

Comments

[Katie]

How exactly did Fox win the night? NCIS beat House by 4.2 million viewers, The Mentalist scored 15.3 million, beating it's competition Fringe by 6.2 millionand even beating Fox's prize House.

If you're looking only at the 18-49 demo, Fringe, with 4.0 isn't that much better than The Mentalist at 3.6. Yes, House did well in the demo (aided by the sexually graphic lesbian scene they put on youtube)but they've lost 6 million viewers since season 3. In what kind of math is that a win?

[JAMES HIBBERD]

I just knew adding a chart would inspire a whole new set of fun "what the hell?" comments.

Who wins the night is determined by who had the highest average among adults 18-49 -- the demo major broadcasters sell to advertisers and typically use to make programming decisions (as in, which shows live or die).

But wait, you say, Fox only had two shows!

Yes, it's nice to be Fox, isn't it? ABC, NBC and CBS have to program three hours, Fox programs only two -- which tends to really bite when "who wins the night" is determined by an average rating rather than by a cumulative total of the ratings.

CBS typically wins among total viewers on most weeks, but it's also the oldest-skewing network.

I'm not saying these standards are fair. Or the best way to determine this stuff. But when networks judge themselves and each other, these are the standards they typically use.

Some publications like to emphasize total viewers, since it's easier for readers to understand than the 18-49 demo. But it's not the most important measurement.

As for "House," yeah, everybody has drained viewers. And all that that said, I should be more religious about noting that the "winner" is A18-49 and including the total viewer victor.

[Mike]

SVU's demo is wrong in the chart - fixed

[Mak]

I'm 18 and I would pick NCIS over House any day of the week, love it!

[Jane]

CBS may be the oldest skewing network, but its still winning the season in the 18-49 demo.