'Nip/Tuck' returns in top form

Fifth season premiere takes solid stand

By RICK KISSELL

The move to Beverly Hills worked wonders for the “Nip/Tuck” docs, who stitched up some of the show’s best numbers to date with its season preem Tuesday on FX.

Now in its fifth season, “Nip/Tuck” opened to a 2.7 rating/7 share in adults 18-49 and 4.34 million viewers overall, according to Nielsen -- its second-best premiere score to date. This makes it the strongest 18-49 original scripted series or season preem on cable since season three of “Nip” in September 2005.

In its 10 o’clock time period, “Nip’s” demo score beat out CBS rookie drama “Cane” (2.0/5) and wasn’t far behind ABC’s “Boston Legal” (3.0/8) or NBC’s repeat of “Law & Order: SVU” (2.9/8).

And “Nip” fared even better in adults 18-34, where its 3.3 rating/9 share repped the best delivery for any episode to date of the series. It easily led its timeslot, besting the “SVU” repeat (2.3/7) and MTV’s hot “Shot at Love: Tila Tequila” (2.3/6).

Broadcast highlights Tuesday included another big outing for Fox’s “House” (7.0/17 in 18-49, 17.30m), the night’s top show in key demos. However, it was topped for the first time this fall in total viewers by a rising “Dancing With the Stars” on ABC (4.3/10, 18.86m).

Alphabet led at 8 o’clock in key demos with its annual airing of “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” (3.8/11, 11.40m). In that hour, struggling MyNetwork garnered its best numbers to date for spec “Breaking the Magician’s Code 2” (1.0/3 in 18-49, 2.51m).