Fox’s “American Idol” hit a season-low but still dominated Tuesday night, keeping competitors on the defensive.

“Idol” (11.7) was down 10 percent from last week and at its lowest all season. Overall the current season is still tracking higher than last year’s.

Crime procedurals struggled against the two-hour “Idol,” with dramas on CBS and NBC hitting new lows.

CBS and NBC tied for second place, with CBS’s “NCIS” (3.4) tying its season low, followed by “The Unit” (3.0) posting a series low, then a “CSI: Miami” repeat. Previously CBS has claimed their procedurals are “Idol” proof, but last night’s ratings suggest the shows are vulnerable to the reality behemoth.

On NBC, “Dateline” (2.0) kicked off the evening, followed by a low “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” (2.6). At 10 p.m., “Law & Order: SVU” wasn’t directly up against “Idol,” but still posted its lowest rating in seven years (4.1) while still coming in second-place for the night.

ABC was fourth with a “Funniest Home Videos” repeat, followed by “Primetime” (1.8) and “Boston Legal” (2.6).

The CW had “Gilmore Girls” (1.8) and “Veronica Mars” (1.0).

(Editor: Romanelli)

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