Boosted by a strong lead-in, NBC’s new game show “Identity” premiered to better numbers than “Deal or No Deal” last night. The question is whether the show can sustain them for the rest of the week.

“Identity” averaged a 4.4 adults 18-19 rating last night, according to Nielsen, tying lead-in “Deal” for the highest-rated show of the evening on a night heavy with repeats.

That was 13 percent better than the 3.9 that “Deal” pulled in its December debut last year, though notably without the big lead-in.

“Identity,” which aired at 9 p.m., also stayed relatively stable throughout its hour, dipping slightly from a 4.5 to a 4.4 in its second half hour. NBC also notes that the show bettered its “Deal” lead-in among adults 18-34, with a 4.1 versus the latter’s 3.3.

It pulled 12.2 million total viewers, 3.1 million fewer than “Deal” at 8 p.m.

Like “Deal,” “Identity” is being rolled out as a five-night special, airing every weeknight as the networks slide into holiday repeats.

The real test for “Identity” comes tonight, when it airs at 8 p.m. and does not have the benefit of the “Deal” lead-in. If the show can stay at a 4.0 or above, NBC will almost certainly bring it back this spring. Last year “Deal” peaked with a 4.9 on its fourth night.

Meanwhile, NBC’s game shows led it to a first-place finish on a night flush with repeats with a 3.5 average 18-49 rating and a 9 share. CBS was second at 3.0/8, ABC and Fox tied for third at 2.3/6, Univision fifth at 1.7/4 and CW sixth at 0.8/2.
 
NBC took the first two hours of primetime, starting with a 4.4 rating at 8 p.m. for “Deal.” Fox was second that hour with a 2.5 for a repeat of “House,” with ABC third with a 2.4 for a “Wife Swap” rerun and Univision fourth with a 2.3 for the surging “La Fea Mas Bella.” CBS finished fifth at 8 p.m. with a 2.1 for repeats of “How I Met Your Mother” and “The Class,” and the CW was sixth with a 0.7 for repeats of “Everybody Hates Chris” and “All of Us.”
 
At 9 p.m. NBC led again, this time with a 4.4 for the debut of “Identity.” CBS moved to second that hour with a 3.1 for repeats of “Two and a Half Men” and “Old Christine,” with ABC third with a 2.4 for “Supernanny,” Fox fourth with a 2.1 for a repeat of “Bones” and Univision fifth with a 1.6 for “Mundo de Fieras.” That left CW sixth again with a 0.8 for reruns of “Girlfriends” and “The Game.”
 
CBS jumped into the lead at 9 p.m. with a 3.9 for a repeat of “CSI: Miami,” followed by a series-low 2.0 for ABC for an original “What About Brian.” NBC fell to third that hour with a 1.7 for a repeat of “Studio 60” and Univision was fourth with a 1.3 for a holiday-themed edition of “Cristina.”
 
NBC also finished first for the night among households with a 6.7 average rating and an 11 share. CBS was second at 6.3/10, Fox third at 4.5/7, ABC fourth at 4.1/6, Univision fifth at 2.2/3 and CW sixth at 1.3/2.