Tuesday Ratings: Fringe Benefits from the Best Demos; 90210 Loses Zip

See what a tiny bit of promotion and publicity can do? The Tuesday premiere of J.J. Abrams' Fringe averaged 9 million viewers over its 90-minute premiere, trailing America's Got Talent in total audience but besting all comers in the 18-49 demographic. Fringe represents Fox's highest-rated drama series debut in two years (excluding those that followed sports or American Idol). 

Fox will re-air the Fringe pilot Sunday at 8 pm, preceded by sneak peeks at the film The Day The Earth Stood Still and the TV-movie prequel 24: Redemption. 

Big Brother (6.97 million) gained 470,000 week-to-week, but lagged just behind ABC's Wipeout (7.1 million) in the 8 pm time slot. 

Elsewhere, 90210 lost some of its zip, delivering 3.31 million viewers — or 67 percent of its debut audience. The CW's Privileged subsequently opened at 9 pm to 2.93 million, shedding 11 percent of its lead-in.