Snapshot updated with finals: New series Week 2: NBC’s New Amsterdam (1.5 Live+Same Day rating in 18-49, down 21% after downward adjustment; 7.4 million viewers), CBS’ FBI (1.2, down 8%; 10.1 million); Returning series Week 2: NCIS, NCIS: New Orleans and Lethal Weapon even with Week 2 in 18-49, all other shows down.

Launching a TV series is supposed to be a marathon, not a sprint, as it takes viewers time to discover new shows. Yet, in today’s crowded universe of 500-plus scripted shows, you usually get one shot at being noticed with the premiere, and if you don’t open strong, you may be doomed. Unless you are a Dick Wolf show sandwiched by NCIS series on CBS.

While the latest Wolf series, FBI, opened to an OK but not spectacular 1.3 adults 18-49 Live+SD rating and 10.1 million viewers last Wednesday against the This Is Us season premiere, it held up very well in its second outing last night (1.2, down 8%, 9.4 million), helped by a strong retention for the returning Wednesday CBS dramas. NCIS (1.4, 11.9 million) at 8 PM and NCIS: New Orleans (1.0, 7.8 million) both matched their season-premiere L+SD demo ratings from last week, with NCIS again ranking as the night’s most watched program. FBI was the second most watched show of the night, edging NBC’s This Is Us (2.4, 8.8 million). NBC’s hit family drama was down 17% in the demo from its opener last week.

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This Is Us‘s lead-out, new NBC drama New Amsterdam (1.5, 7.4 million), was down 21% in the demo from its solid debut last Wednesday. New Amsterdam still dominated the 10 PM hour in the demo, with NBC’s shows going 1-2-3 in 18-49 for the night. No. 2 was The Voice (1.8, 9.2 million). While the singing competition’s Monday edition grew in Week 2, last night’s episode was down from the Tuesday premiere by 14%. NBC easily won the night in 18-49, while CBS was tops in total viewers.

Ray Mickshaw/FOX

Fox’s revamped Lethal Weapon (0.8, 3.2 million) also retained 100% of its premiere 18-49 L+SD rating and built onto its lead-in from The Gifted (0.7, 2.3 million), which slipped 22% week-to-week.

ABC aired Dancing With the Stars (0.8, down a tenth from last week, 6.1 million) and a rebroadcast of A Million Little Things.