For the second straight week, the Tuesday edition of “American Idol” slipped to a season low, but that didn’t stop Fox from dominating the competition.

“Idol” averaged a 9.3 adults 18-49 rating last night, according to Nielsen overnights, off 4 percent from last week’s 9.7.

It comes as the top 10 finalists get whittled down over the next two months, a time when “Idol” traditionally sees declines. The same pattern occurred last year, although “Idol” is also down 11 percent from the same night last year. 

Still, “Idol” topped the combined ratings for the other Big Five networks by 33 percent in the 8 p.m. slot, and it helped give “Hell’s Kitchen” its biggest debut ever.

The fourth-season opener of the Gordon Ramsay restaurant reality show, which usually airs in the summer, averaged a series-high 5.7 at 9 p.m., holding 61 percent of “Idol’s” lead-in.

Fox led the night among viewers 18-49 with a 7.5 average overnight rating and a 19 share. NBC and CBS tied for second at 2.9/7, ABC was fourth at 2.6/7, Univision fifth at 1.8/5 and CW sixth at 0.7/2.
 
At 8 p.m. Fox was first with a 9.3 rating for “Idol,” followed by NBC with a 2.8 for the first hour of “The Biggest Loser.” Univision and CBS tied for third at 2.1, Univision for “Al Diablo con los Guapos” and CBS for a repeat of “NCIS,” with ABC fifth with a 1.4 for “Just for Laughs” and CW sixth with a 0.7 for “Beauty and the Geek.”
 
Fox held onto the lead at 9 p.m. with a 5.7 for “Kitchen,” while ABC jumped to second with a 3.9 for “Dancing with the Stars.” NBC was third with a 3.7 for the second half of “Biggest Loser,” CBS fourth with a 2.4 for “Big Brother,” Univision fifth with a 1.9 for “Pasion” and CW sixth with a 0.6 for a repeat of “Reaper.”
 
At 10 p.m. CBS took the lead with a 4.1 for the second half of a two-part “CSI: Miami,” with ABC second with a 2.5 for an ABC News special, “Live to Be 150 … Can You Do It?” NBC was third with a 2.1 for a repeat of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” and Univision fourth with a 1.4 for “Aqui y Ahora.”
 
Fox also finished first for the night among households with a 10.9 average overnight rating and a 17 share. ABC was second at 7.2/11, CBS third at 6.7/10, NBC fourth at 4.8/8, Univision fifth at 2.1/3 and CW sixth at 1.1/2.