Ratings: Here's the Skinny on the Biggest Loser Finale

May 13, 2009 03:16 PM ET
by Matt Mitovich

The Biggest Loser

Tuesday's tallies:

8 pm/ET
American Idol's Top 3 performed for 21.79 million total viewers, dipping 7 percent week-to-week. NCIS netted second for the hour, with 15.78 mil (down 6 percent).

The Biggest Loser packed 'em in, averaging 11.76 mil over its bloated three-hour finale. That's a 29 percent surge from last week, and NBC's best Tuesday-night demo delivery, excluding the Olympics, since Dec. 6, 2005.

Trailing ABC's According to Jims, Reaper inched up a bit to flirt with 2 mil.

9 pm
The Mentalist topped the hour with 16.11 mil, down 570K, followed by Dancing with the Stars' results show (13.75 mil, down 810 thou). Boosted by some (seemingly unavoidable) Idol overrun, the Fringe finale drew 11.22 mil (up 21 percent week-to-week). But to keep things in perspective, Fringe finished the hour with an audience of 8.9 mil.

90210 dialed up 2.05 mil, up 210K.

10 pm
Without a Trace (13.43 mil) was No. 1 in total viewers, surging 14 percent, while Biggest Loser (13.18 mil for the hour) dominated the demos. ABC's Cupid closer targeted 5.5 mil, up 7 percent. Maybe we'll get a second reboot in another 10 years?

Crave scoop on your favorite TV shows? E-mail senior editors Matt, Mickey and Tim at mega_scoop@tvguide.com. Also, follow TV Guide on Twitter.