Debut of singing contest holds off NBC

Fast National ratings for Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2006

Viewers were in tune with the premiere of "Celebrity Duets" Tuesday, giving FOX a ratings win for the night.

FOX averaged a 5.3 rating/9 share in primetime, narrowly beating NBC, 5.2/8, for the top spot. CBS took third with a 4.8/8. ABC came in fourth with a 4.3/7, and The WB, 1.6/3, beat UPN, 0.9/1, for fifth.

In the adults 18-49 demographic, FOX's 3.0 rating took the top spot over CBS' 2.7. NBC, 2.2, edged ABC, 2.1, for third. The WB and UPN were both below 1.0.

"Big Brother: All-Stars" put CBS on top at 8 p.m. with a 5.6/9. The premiere of "Duets," which pairs celebs not known for singing with recording artists in an "American Idol"-style contest, scored a 5.0/8. ABC averaged 3.8/6 with two episodes of "According to Jim." NBC was fourth with "Fear Factor." A "Gilmore Girls" rerun delivered a 1.6/3 for The WB. UPN trailed with "Veronica Mars."

"Duets" took the lead at 9 p.m. with a 5.6/9. NBC moved up to second with "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," 5.3/8. "Rock Star: Supernova" scored a 4.4/7 for CBS, dropping ABC's second hour of "Jim," 3.6/6, to fourth. A second "Gilmore Girls" held steady for The WB. UPN went with another "Veronica Mars" episode.

At 10 p.m., NBC's "Law & Order: SVU" grabbed the night's biggest audience with a 7.0/12. "Primetime: The Outsiders" earned a 5.5/9 for ABC, while a "48 Hours Mystery" repeat came in at 4.4/7 for CBS.

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