ABC's controversial cross-dressing comedy "Work It" dropped considerably Tuesday night from its already soft premiere, while CBS took a handy overall win with a roster that included the top-rated "NCIS," according to preliminary numbers.
"Work It," on ABC at 8:30 p.m. — which has drawn the anger of gay, lesbian and transgender groups before it even premiered — posted a 1.6 rating/4 share in the adults 18-49 demographic, a 20 percent drop from its series premiere last week, and 5 million total viewers.
"Last Man Standing" at 8 drew a 2.2/6 in the demo and 7.9 million total viewers. "Celebrity Wife Swap" at 9 held steady with last week, taking a 2.1/5 in the demo and 5.2 million total viewers, while the network closed the night on an encouraging note with "Body of Proof" at 10, which posted a modest improvement over last week's series low, receiving a 1.6/4 in the demo and 6.9 million total viewers.
At CBS, meanwhile, "NCIS" took the night's top numbers with a 4.1/11 in the demo and 20.8 million total viewers, making it the best-rated and most-watched program of the night. "NCIS: Los Angeles" the following hour drew a 3.4/8 in the demo and 16.7 million total viewers, while "Unforgettable" at 10 dropped 15 percent to tie its season low, posting a 2.2/6 with 11.2 million total viewers.
Despite the low for "Unforgettable," the network's average 3.2/8 for the night put it well above the competition, while its average 16.2 million total viewers made CBS the most-watched network of the night by a wide margin.
NBC ran "The Biggest Loser" at 8, which ran flat with last week's premiere for a 2.4/6 in the demo and 6.6 million total viewers. "Parenthood" at 10 showed a minor uptick from last week's series low, receiving a 1.8/5 and 4.8 million total viewers.
Fox ran repeats throughout the evening.
In cable ratings news, Lifetime's "Dance Moms" had its season two premiere at 9, posting a 150 percent surge over its season one premiere. The premiere averaged 2.5 million total viewers, with 1.2 million of them in the adults 18-49 demographic.
