TV ratings: ‘New Girl,’ ‘Mindy Project’ rise in season finales

In Tuesday night’s comedy ratings battle, Fox’s numbers were up thanks to season finales, while ABC’s and NBC’s were down. Meanwhile, CBS was the top network with its dramas “NCIS,” “NCIS: L.A.” and “Person of Interest.”

Fox’s Season 3 finale of “New Girl” earned a 1.2 in the key 18-to-49-year-old demographic, up 9% from last week, while “The Mindy Project” gained 18% for a 1.3 in its second-season closer, according to early numbers from Nielsen. This as the network’s “Glee” continued to languish at a low 0.8 in the 18-49 demo, in which a ratings point equals about 1.3 million viewers.

ABC’s “The Goldbergs” dropped from last week, down 24% to a 1.3, its lowest number yet, though that number still gave it a slight edge on “New Girl,” its direct competitor. Also, “Trophy Wife” fell 30% to a low of 0.7. On ABC’s non-comedy front, “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” dipped 14% to a 1.8. “Celebrity Wife Swap,” on the positive side, gained 13% for a 0.9.

CBS won the night among the big four networks, averaging 13.4 million viewers overall and a 2.1 in the 18-49 demographic. Though “NCIS” slipped a bit from last week to a 2.3, it was just a tenth of a point shy of NBC’s “The Voice” for the first time ever, helped by the fact that the sing-off was 11% lower this time around. “The Voice” was again Tuesday’s top show in 18-49.

NBC’s “Voice”-backed comedies slipped as well, with “About A Boy” down 6% to a 1.5 (better than its time-slot comedy competition “New Girl” and “The Goldbergs”) and “Growing Up Fisher” 14% weaker at a 1.2. “Chicago Fire” continued its strong run at a 1.9, up slightly from last week.