TV Ratings: ‘The Voice’ Ratings Down, ‘NCIS’ Up Against NBA Playoffs

Some would say the real competition on TV last night was in cable-land with an NBA playoffs doubleheader on TNT, but there was no lack of sharp elbows on the Big 4.

Part of that was NBC and CBS tying for the top spot in the adults 18-49 demographic with a 1.2/5 rating. Still, a night that saw originals of NCIS (1.4/5), Bull (1.2/5) and NCIS: New Orleans (1.0/4) drew 10.57 million total viewers for the House of Moonves, which nearly doubled the Comcast-owned net in total viewership to easily claim No. 1 in viewership Tuesday.

Up 8% in the key demo from its last original April 18, the Mark Harmon-led NCIS was the most-watched show with 12.5 million sets of eyeballs. Rising 9% in 18-49s from its last new show of two weeks ago, Bull was the second most-watched of Tuesday with 10.64 million. At 10 PM, the recently renewed NCIS: NOLA was CBS’ only decline of the night, down a tenth from its last original.

With a Live Top 11 elimination Tuesday, NBC’s The Voice (1.6/7) was the night’s highest rated show as usual but stumbled 11% from last week.

Now head-to-head with a new Bull and the Boston Celtics’ battle with the Washington Wizards (which went into OT), there was expected bad news for NBC’s newbie Great News last night. Back-to-back airings at 9 PM (0.8/3) and 9:30 PM (0.6/2) took a 33% and 40% hit, respectively, from last week’s premiere. NBC’s bruised night ended with Chicago Fire (1.2/4) declining a tenth from its April 25 show.

Having said that, Chicago Fire was tops in its slot ahead of NCIS: NOLA and ABC’s Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. (0.7/2), which was steady with last week’s upward-adjusted final ratings

Earlier in the evening, ABC’s American Housewife (1.2/5) and Fresh Off The Boat (1.0/4), which received deserved recognition from the City of LA yesterday as part of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, cane in with results that were also the same as two weeks ago. However, newbie Imaginary Mary (0.7/3) was down a tenth from last week, and The Middle (1.1/4) dropped 15% in the demo to hit what is currently a series low.

Identity revelations and some serious back to the future were in the running on The Flash (1.0/4). Yet, the CW show remained flat with its April 25 airing – as did lead-out iZombie (0.3/1). Down tenth from last week, Fox’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine (0.6/3) matched that second Great News for the night’s lowest-rated show.

The Season 1 ender of comedy The Mick (0.7/3) took a 22% fall from last week’s final numbers, which were adjusted up a tenth from the fast affiliates. There was another ratings break for the Prison Break (0.9/3) revival, which stayed even for a third week in a row.