TV Ratings: Solid ‘Taste’ Premiere Pushes ABC to Tuesday Win

The Taste Premiere Episodic Contestant - H 2013

ABC/SASHA SHEMIRANI

ABC locked a win with adults 18-49 (1.9 rating) on a relatively quiet Tuesday, thanks to a decent start for culinary reality competition The Taste. The two-hour opener averaged a 2.2 rating among adults 18-49 and was a tenth of a point higher Tuesday's Dancing With the Stars premiere this past fall. At 10 p.m., the series finale of Private Practice (1.5 adults) was down three tenths of a point from last May's finale -- but up 25 percent from the previous week for a near season high. The network averaged 5.8 million viewers.

PHOTOS: Midseason 2013: TV's Newest Series

Back-to-back episodes of Betty White's Off Their Rockers (1.6 and 1.8 adults) started the night on NBC. The 8 p.m. airing was up a tenth from the previous week, with the 8:30 p.m. showing steady. Comedies Go On (1.3 adults) and The New Normal (1.2 adults) both dropped to series lows, falling respective 24 and 14 percent. In its season finale, Parenthood (1.7 adults) was down two tenths from last week and last season's ender. NBC averaged 4.7 million viewers and a 1.6 adults rating.

Raising Hope (1.7 adults) and Ben and Kate (1.2 adults) both started the night up a tenth of a point on Fox. New Girl (2.1 adults) was up two tenths ahead of a steady Mindy Project (1.5 adults). The network averaged a 1.6 adults rating and 3.4 million viewers.

PHOTOS: 9 Shows Ending During the 2012-2013 Season

CBS still managed to top the rest of the broadcast networks in total viewers with 10.5 million with all encores. The network averaged a 1.5 rating in the demo.

Hart of Dixie (0.7 adults) was up by a tenth of a point on the CW, with Emily Owens M.D. (0.5 adults) rising two tenths. The network averaged a 0.6 adults rating and 1.5 million viewers.

Univision averaged a 1.7 rating with adults 18-49 and 3.9 million viewers.

Michael O'Connell