The Los Angeles Times
A record audience for “NCIS” and a second-place finish by its spinoff, “NCIS: Los Angeles,” which followed, helped CBS end ABC’s two-year winning streak for television’s premiere week.
CBS had nine of the 15 most-watched prime-time programs from Sept. 21 through Sunday and averaged 11.77 million viewers for its prime-time programming, becoming the only network to record an increase in viewership over last season’s premiere week, according to figures released Tuesday by the Nielsen Co.
The seventh-season premiere of “NCIS” was the week’s most-watched program, averaging a series-high 20.6 million viewers. “NCIS: Los Angeles” was second for the week, with 18.73 million viewers. CBS also had the week’s second most-watched premiere, the Julianna Margulies-starring legal drama, “The Good Wife,” which won its 10-11 p.m. Tuesday time period and finished 15th for the week with 13.71 million viewers. More…