'NCIS,' 'Mentalist' solid; 'America's Got Talent' slips some

Fast National ratings for Tuesday, July 7, 2009

ABC got a boost from coverage of Michael Jackson's funeral Tuesday night, but CBS kept its customary spot atop the ratings.

CBS drew a 5.7 rating/10 share in households and just under 8.5 million viewers for the night. NBC (4.4/8, 7.1 million), beat out ABC (4.2/7, 6.2 million) for third. FOX was well back in fourth with a 1.5/3, and The CW trailed with a 0.7/1.

NBC led among adults 18-49 with a 2.2 rating. ABC finished second in the demographic with a 1.9, followed by CBS at 1.7. FOX averaged 0.8 and The CW 0.4.

An "NCIS" rerun grabbed the night's biggest audience (7.0/13) at 8 p.m. NBC finished a distant second with the premiere of "The Great American Road Trip," 3.0/6. "The Superstars," 2.7/5, put ABC in third. FOX came in fourth with the movie "Legally Blonde 2," while a "90210" rerun on The CW earned a 0.7/1.

NBC moved in front at 9 o'clock with "America's Got Talent," which was down a good bit from last week with a 6.2/10. "The Mentalist," 6.1/10, was a close second for CBS. A "20/20" special on Michael Jackson delivered a 4.0/7 for ABC. "Legally Blonde 2" finished with a 1.6/3. The CW aired a "Hitched or Ditched" rerun.

At 10, ABC's "Primetime: Family Secrets" scored a 6.0/10 with a focus on Jackson's family. The other two networks also devoted the hour to Jackson, with NBC's "Dateline" drawing a 4.1/7 and CBS' "48 Hours" a 3.9/7.

Ratings information includes live and same-day DVR viewing. All numbers are preliminary and subject to change.