'V' stops drops, 'NCIS: LA' has best night since debut

That screeching sound you're hearing is ABC's "V" hitting the brakes.

After two weeks of rapid ratings drops, "V" has thankfully come to an abrupt halt in a nick of time for its fall finale. The fourth episode of "V" drew 9.2 million viewers and a 3.1 rating on Tuesday evening, matching last week.

The network ran a promo at the end of the episode saying "V" will return in March, which concludes speculation about whether the show will return next year. ABC's publicity department confirmed the show is coming back, though noted a specific date has not been set. ABC's unusual roll out for "V" included airing only four episodes this fall, opting for a "wait and see" approach before committing to the production of the remainder the season.

"V" helped ABC edge out CBS for the win among the adult demo, with CBS topping the night among total viewers.

Part 2 of ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" finale performed strong (19.2 million, 4.3), marking a season high in the demo and viewers, though was down 16% from last year.

Even with heightened competition from ABC's "Dancing" finale, CBS had a great night. "NCIS" (20.3 million, 4.4) was up 7%, "NCIS: LA" (17.2 million, 4.3) had its best rating since its debut, up a steep 26% for the week. "The Good Wife" (12.5 million, 2.8) rose 8%.

NBC's "Biggest Loser" (9 million, 3.5) slipped 5%. "Jay Leno Show" (4.9 million, 1.9) held last week's performance. Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance" (5.4 million, 2.1) was down 13%. The CW aired repeats.

UPDATE: Shows held steady in the nationals...