You usually expect a show’s last episode to produce a season high. No joke: The finale of “Last Comic Standing” last night hit a season low.

“Comic” averaged a 2.8 adults 18-49 overnight rating for a special 90-minute episode in which Josh Blue was named the series’ fourth winner. He receives an NBC talent contract and his own Bravo special.

“Comic’s” rating was down 22 percent from its season-long 3.6 average, and it dipped 36 percent from the 2004 edition’s finale, the last time the show aired in the summer, which averaged a 4.4 overnight.

Certainly “Comic” has been faltering for weeks, failing to show a week-to-week increase for nine straight weeks. But the finale was also hurt by two other things.

First, NBC scheduled it on Wednesday night; “Comic” usually airs on Tuesdays, and despite frequent reminders during the penultimate episode, viewers may have forgotten about the time switch.

Second, the show’s final half hour aired against Fox hit “So You Think You Can Dance” at 9 p.m. During that half hour, “Dance” averaged a 3.5 to “Comic’s” 3.4. Had “Comic” been airing against the usual Tuesday night fare, where the highest-rated timeslot competitor is reruns of Fox’s “House,” it may have performed better. 

Meanwhile, Fox led for the night among 18-49s at a 3.1 rating and 9 share, edging NBC at 3.0/9, CBS at 2.3/7, ABC at 1.9/6, Univision at 1.7/5, and WB and UPN each at 0.7/2.

At 8 p.m., NBC was No. 1 at a 2.5 for the finale of "Comic," followed by CBS and Fox, each at 2.4 for "Rock Star: Supernova" and a "House" rerun. Univision averaged a 1.7 for "La Fea Mas Bella," ahead of ABC at 1.3 for two "George Lopez" repeats, and a 0.8 each for WB's "Blue Collar TV" reruns and UPN's "America's Next Top Model" repeat.

At 9 p.m., Fox took the lead at a 3.8 for "So You Think You Can Dance," ahead of NBC at 3.2 for the last half-hour of "Comic" and the start of "America's Got Talent," CBS at 2.0 for a "Criminal Minds" rerun, ABC at 1.9 for "Primetime: Medical Mysteries," Univision at 1.7 for "Barrera de Amor," UPN at 0.6 for reruns of "All of Us" and "Half & Half," and WB at 0.5 for a "One Tree Hill" repeat.

At 10 p.m., NBC regain No. 1 with a 3.3 for "Talent," followed by ABC at 2.4 for "Mysteries," CBS at 2.3 for "CSI: NY" and Univision at 1.6 for "Don Francisco Presenta."

Among households, NBC led for the night at a 5.4 rating and 9 share, followed by Fox at 5.3/9, CBS at 5.0/9, ABC at 4.1/7, Univision at 2.0/3, WB at 1.2/2 and UPN at 1.0/2.