CBS premiered the third iteration of its NCIS franchise with its Scott Bakula-led New Orleans version on Tuesday.
Airing out of the original NCIS, New Orleans drew a 2.5 rating with adults 18-49 at 9 p.m. and 17 million total viewers, according to Nielsen overnight numbers. The demo rating was down 17% from what NCIS: Los Angeles premiered to in that slot last year, but NCIS: NOLA was up slightly among total viewers. The 17 million topped Madam Secretary on Sunday as the most-watched fall premiere so far.
Leading into NCIS: NOLA, the original version returned down 19% from last year’s premiere with a 2.9 rating and down about 2 million total viewers with 17.9 million. At 10 p.m., Person of Interest returned down 22% to a 1.8. CBS finished in second overall with a 2.4 rating/7 share, but first again among total viewers with 15.25 million.
NBC won its second straight night of the week on the backs of The Voice’s two-hour Tuesday premiere and the third season debut of Chicago Fire with a 3.6/11.
Voice drew a 4.0 rating from 8-10 p.m., down 15% from last fall’s Tuesday debut, but Chicago Fire returned even from last year’s premiere, which is a series best, with a 2.7 at 10 p.m. The Dick Wolf drama also posted a series-best 9.4 million total viewers.
Up against the debut of NCIS: NOLA and The Voice in its new 9 p.m. time slot, ABC’s Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. drew a 1.9 rating, down considerably from the show’s heavily publicized debut last year (4.7), but only a tenth off from its finale in May. New drama Forever rose two tenths from its preview on Monday to a 1.7 rating in its regular time slot debut, though it dipped among total viewers to 6.5 million. The 1.7 rating was 31% higher than what Lucky 7 – which lasted only two episodes – premiered to in that space last year.
Earlier, the Dancing With the Stars results show dropped 27% to a 1.6 against increased competition. ABC finished in third with a 1.8/6.
Fox’s Utopia sank further, dropping two tenths from last Tuesday to a 0.8 at 8 p.m. New Girl dipped 24% from last week’s premiere to a 1.3 and Mindy Project was down 23% to a 1.0. Fox finished in fourth with a 1.0/3.
The CW aired repeats.
