Ratings: NCIS Clubs Cavemen and House Parties

Tuesday's ratings recap, here and now:

8 pm/ET
NCIS dominated the hour with 16.26 million total viewers, a massive 19 percent week-to-week surge. (It was also NCIS' most-watched outing since last Dec. 12.) ABC's Cavemen- Carpoolers combo placed second with about 9 mil each. Bones (7.89 mil) and Beauty and the Geek (2.66 mil) each lost around 350 thou.

9 pm
With 17.28 million viewers, House dealt the DWTS results show (15.7 mil, dipping 902K) some bad medicine, in total viewers and key demos. Up 600,000 from its season opener, The Unit came in third with 11.34 mil. Reaper (2.82 mil) reaped 400 thou fewer souls than in its debut.

10 pm
Law & Order: SVU (11.7 mil) topped... yet dropped (400K). Boston Legal (10.94 mil) gained 640 thou week-to-week to best CBS' Cane (whose ratings soured 17 percent from the premiere).

Lastly, an update on Heroes' season premiere, which now - factoring in Saturday's replay - can boast an audience of 17 million (up from the original 14.1 mil). That adjustment, thanks to a new rule now under review by Nielsen, helped NBC tie ABC for that week in the 18-49 demographic.