NBC's 'Loser' tops 'Fringe' as Fox climbs

NBC's "The Biggest Loser" seems to exist in its own ratings universe where some of the usual rules do not apply. As NBC's ratings have declined the past couple years, "Loser" ratings have gone up. As Fox's "American Idol" severely increases the level of competition on Tuesday nights, "Loser" ratings go up.

This week “Loser” (11 million, 4.1/10) climbed slightly for the second week in a row to mark its highest nonpremiere/finale rating in more than a year. This is up 24% from the show's performance on the same night last January. Compare its 4.1 adult demo rating to the show’s fall average of low-threes. “Loser” was aided this week by CBS airing a “Mentalist” repeat, but the competition from Fox’s lineup climbed, too.

“Loser” bowed to “American Idol” at 8 p.m. (25 million, 9.6/24), with the singing competition recovering 7% from last Tuesday’s Inauguration Day drop. Yet NBC’s weight loss series surged at 9 p.m. to overtake “Fringe” (12.1 million, 4.8/11) despite its powerful lead-in. “Fringe” climbed a couple of tenths from last week to post a new second-best rating this season.

So Fox was first, NBC second. CBS was third with “NCIS” (19 million, 3.9/10) at 8 p.m. and “Without a Trace” (12.8 million, 2.7/7) winning 10 p.m. ABC was fourth with a new low for “Homeland Security” (5.6 million, 1.6/4), its “Scrubs” hour (5.1 million, 2.2/5) matching its last airing, and “Primetime” (6.3 million, 2.3/6). The CW was in repeats.

UPDATE: "Idol" climbed to a 9.8 in the nationals, matching last Wednesday's rating. Good news for Fox. The network is looking for as many stable week-to-week numbers as they can get moving forward.