Despite the return of NCIS and NCIS: LA, NBC - with help from The Biggest Loser: Couples - managed to outweigh CBS in the demos last night. The Eye network nearly doubled its nearest competitor in viewers though.

8pm

• NCIS (21.4 million, 4.4/12 in 18-49) scored its second biggest audience to date.
• The Biggest Loser: Couples (11.7 million, 4.6/12) had its best premiere demo in history.
• FOX’s coverage of The Orange Bowl (3.5/9) rallied 10.3 million sports fans.
• Scrubs (1.5/4) scraped up 3.9 million.
• Better Off Ted (1.3/3) turned in 3 million.
• 90210* (0.4/1) coughed up 900,000.

9pm

• NCIS: LA (18 million, 3.7/9 in 18-49) also had its second largest audience on record.
• Scrubs (3 million, 1.4/4) and Better Off Ted (2.6 million, 1.1/3) both lost ground in the second hour.
• Melrose Place* (800,000, 0.3/1) wasn’t the place to be at yesterday.

10pm

• The Good Wife (13.8 million, 3.0/8 in 18-49) performed well in its hour.
• The Jay Leno Show (6.4 million, 2.2/6) benefitted from the strong lead-in.
• The Forgotten (4.4 million, 12/3) lived up to its name.

*denotes repeat