nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for tuesday, november 17, 2009)

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Here are the highlights of the 12 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night:

CBS (15.93 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.4, #1) was the network to beat on Tuesday thanks to new episodes of "NCIS" (20.24 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.1, #1), "NCIS: Los Angeles" (14.81 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.4, #3) and "The Good Wife" (12.73 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.6, #7).

The silver then went to NBC (8.28 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.0, #2) with its mix of "Merry Madagascar" (8.96 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.9, #6), "The Biggest Loser" (9.53 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 3.7, #2) and "The Jay Leno Show" (6.07 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.0, #9).

Next up was ABC (10.93 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.7, #3) with week three of "V" (9.26 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 3.1, #5) followed by new episodes of "Dancing With the Stars" (15.86 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.2, #4) and "The Forgotten" (7.69 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.9, #10).

Meanwhile, FOX (5.98 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.4, #4) offered up another two-hour "So You Think You Can Dance" (5.98 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 2.4, #8).

And finally, new episodes of "90210" (2.14 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.1, #11) and "Melrose Place" (1.54 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.8, #12) on The CW (1.94 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.9, #5) rounded out the evening.

Here are the highlights of the 12 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (11/18/08):

New episodes of "House" (households: 7.9/12, #T4, half-hour: 6.58%; adults 18-49: 5.5, #1, half-hour: 11.54%) and "Fringe" (households: 5.7/9, #8, half-hour: -11.67%; adults 18-49: 4.2, #2, half-hour: -11.36%) powered FOX (households: 6.8/10, #3; adults 18-49: 4.8, #1) to victory on Tuesday.

NBC (households: 5.5/8, #4; adults 18-49: 3.4, #2) then took a distant second place with new episodes of "The Biggest Loser: Families" (households: 4.8/7, #9, half-hour: 22.73%; adults 18-49: 3.3, #7, half-hour: 40.74%) and "Law & Order: SVU" (households: 6.8/12, #7, half-hour: 1.49%; adults 18-49: 3.8, #4, half-hour: 2.70%).

Next up was CBS (households: 9.5/14, #1; adults 18-49: 3.2, #3) with fresh installments of "NCIS" (households: 11.0/17, #2, half-hour: 4.67%; adults 18-49: 3.5, #T5, half-hour: 15.63%), "The Mentalist" (households: 9.9/15, #3, half-hour: 0.00%; adults 18-49: 3.5, #T5, half-hour: 2.94%) and "Without a Trace" (households: 7.9/14, #T4, half-hour: -3.75%; adults 18-49: 2.7, #8, half-hour: -3.70%).

Meanwhile, ABC (households: 7.9/12, #2; adults 18-49: 2.7, #4) offered up its mix of "Dancing With the Stars Recap" (households: 7.8/12, #6, half-hour: 13.70%; adults 18-49: 2.4, #9, half-hour: 23.81%), "Dancing With the Stars" (households: 11.4/17, #1, half-hour: 1.77%; adults 18-49: 4.0, #3, half-hour: 7.89%) and "Eli Stone" (households: 4.6/8, #10, half-hour: -29.63%; adults 18-49: 1.8, #10, half-hour: -33.33%).

And finally, new episodes of "90210" (households: 1.9/3, #11, half-hour: -10.00%; adults 18-49: 1.6, #11, half-hour: -6.25%) and "Privileged" (households: 1.2/2, #12, half-hour: -8.33%; adults 18-49: 0.8, #12, half-hour: 0.00%) on The CW (households: 1.5/2, #5; adults 18-49: 1.2, #5) closed out the night.

In the late-night metered markets, NBC's "Leno" (4.0/10) was back in front of CBS's "Letterman" (3.3/8) and ABC's "Nightline" (3.3/8). Rounding out the night then were CBS's "Ferguson" (1.7/6), ABC's "Kimmel" (1.6/5) and "Conan" (1.8/6) and "Daly" (1.2/5) on NBC.

Source: Nielsen Media Research

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