RATINGS RECAP: 1/29/13

ABC
8:00 The Taste
Viewers: 4.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
9:00 Happy Endings
Viewers: 2.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:30 Happy Endings
Viewers: 2.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
10:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

CBS8:00 NCIS
Viewers: 22.1 million, 18-49 demo: 3.8
9:00 NCIS: Los Angeles
Viewers: 17.3 million, 18-49 demo: 3.1
10:00 Vegas
Viewers: 11.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9

NBC
8:00 Betty White's Off Their Rockers
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
8:30 Betty White's Off Their Rockers
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:00 Go On
Viewers: 4.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
9:30 The New Normal
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
10:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 4.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3 

FOX8:00 Raising Hope
Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
8:30 Raising Hope
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
9:00 New Girl
Viewers: 4.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6
9:30 The Mindy Project
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7

On Tuesday night, CBS's dramas came back with gusto after a week off as CBS completely dominates this night with The Voice gone. At 8pm, NCIS was down eight tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo but still stronger than it was for most of the fall. At 9pm, NCIS: Los Angeles was down three tenths in viewers but up four tenths in the demo for its best demo performance since the second episode of the season. At 10pm, Vegas was down a tenth in viewers and up three tenths in the demo, posting its best demo since October 9. It was still somewhat low though and the competition was very limited at 10pm so it could still be doing better. However, the uptick is a good sign as this show still might be able to snag a Friday slot next season.

Over on ABC, week two of The Taste fell a million viewers and a rough half a demo point from its decent series premiere last week. This is more what I was expecting even though last week surprised me. At 9pm, a double airing of Happy Endings continued to flop. The 9pm episode tied a series low but the 9:30pm episode grew from the lead-in and did better than the cancelled Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23. NBC started with Betty White's Off Their Rockers and both episodes were down from last week. The worst news came at 9pm where the comedies continued to struggle in a big way. Go On was dead even with last week while The New Normal was down two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo for a series low. I know NBC wants this show to work but it's lower than numbers 30 Rock, 1600 Penn, and Up All Night are/were getting on Thursdays not to mention the low-rated Wednesday comedies. Might be time to try to salvage Go On and can this one.

Finally on FOX, they aired an hour of Raising Hope to replace the cancelled Ben and Kate. The 8pm episode was on par with last week while the 8:30pm episode was slightly down from the lead-in but up substantially from Ben and Kate's numbers. That seemed to propel New Girl as it was up six tenths in viewers and four tenths in the demo for its best demo since October 23. This is no doubt what FOX was hoping for by giving it a better lead-in. At 9:30pm, The Mindy Project was up a tenth in viewers and two tenths in the demo for its best demo since October 9. Isn't it sad that a 1.7 is the show's best demo since early October?