Fast National ratings for Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2008

The start of actual competition Tuesday on "American Idol" was a boon for both FOX and the show, which posted its best ratings since the season premiere.

As usual, FOX won the night by a wide margin, drawing a 16.7 rating/25 share among households. CBS was the best of the rest at 5.5/8, followed by NBC at 5.1/8. ABC averaged 3.7/6 and The CW 1.7/3.

FOX's win was even bigger in the adults 18-49 demographic, where it averaged a 12.3 rating. NBC finished a distant second at 2.8. CBS was third at 2.5, followed by ABC, 1.5, and The CW, 1.1.

The Hollywood round of "American Idol" drew a 15.7/23 at 8 p.m. An "NCIS" repeat on CBS delivered a 7.7/12. "The Biggest Loser," 4.5/7, put NBC in third, beating an hour of "Just for Laughs," 3.2/5, on ABC. The CW went with an encore of "Reaper."

FOX increased its lead at 9 p.m. as "Idol" jumped to 17.7/26. "The Biggest Loser" ticked up to 4.9/7 to move NBC ahead of CBS and the premiere of "Big Brother 9," 4.6/7. "According to Jim" and "Carpoolers" finished fourth for ABC, while "One Tree Hill" posted a 2.2/3 for The CW.

With FOX done for the night, NBC took the 10 p.m. hour with a repeat of "Law & Order: SVU," 5.7/9. "Boston Legal" scored a 4.9/8, while the return of the fan-saved series "Jericho" to CBS managed only a 4.2/7.

Ratings information is taken from fast national data, which includes live and same-day DVR viewing. All numbers are preliminary and subject to change.