nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for thursday, february 3, 2011)

Here are the highlights of the 17 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night:

FOX (15.98 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 5.4, #1) once again was the network to beat on Thursday with new episodes of "American Idol" (21.78 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 7.3, #1) and "Bones" (10.18 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 3.3, #5).

Sharing the silver then were ABC (8.73 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.1, #T2) and CBS (13.67 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.1, #T2) as the former served up new episodes of "Wipeout" (7.94 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.5, #T10), "Grey's Anatomy" (11.10 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 4.2, #3) and "Private Practice" (7.14 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 2.6, #9).

The Eye then offered up its mix of "The Big Bang Theory" (13.82 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 4.3, #2), "Bleep My Dad Says" (10.50 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.8, #T7), "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (13.80 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 3.0, #6) and "The Mentalist" (15.05 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.8, #T7).

Meanwhile, NBC (4.73 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.3, #4) served up fresh installments of "Community" (4.35 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 2.0, #13), "Perfect Couples" (3.07 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T15), "The Office" (7.30 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 3.7, #4), "Parks & Recreation" (5.05 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 2.5, #T10), "30 Rock" (4.84 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 2.4, #12) and "Outsourced" (3.80 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.8, #14).

And finally, new episodes of "The Vampire Diaries" (3.18 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T15), "Nikita" (2.41 million viewers, #17; adults 18-49: 0.9, #17) on The CW (2.79 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.5, #5) rounded out the night.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49): Bleep My Dad Says (21.70%), Wipeout (4.20%), The Big Bang Theory (2.40% vs. 1/20/11), 30 Rock (0.00%), The Mentalist (0.00% vs. 1/20/11), CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (-3.20% vs. 1/20/11), American Idol (-3.90%), Grey's Anatomy (-4.50% vs. 1/13/11), Outsourced (-5.30%), Private Practice (-7.10% vs. 1/6/11), The Office (-7.50%), Community (-9.10%), The Vampire Diaries (-12.50%), Bones (-15.40%), Parks & Recreation (-16.70%), Perfect Couples (-17.60%), Nikita (-18.20%).

In late-night metered market ratings (via NBC's press release):

Nielsen's 56 metered markets (with four markets excluded today), household results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 2.9/7; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 3.2/8; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 3.5/8; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 2.0/6.

In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 1.1/5; "Late Show," 1.0/4; "Nightline," 1.3/5; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.7/4.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.3/4 in metered-market households) trailed CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.5/5). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.6/3 in 18-49) tied "Late Late Show" (0.6/4).

At 1:35 a.m., Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.8/3 in metered-market households and a 0.4/3 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

Here are the highlights of the 15 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (2/4/10):

New episodes of "Grey's Anatomy" (12.50 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 4.5, #1) and "Private Practice" (9.33 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 3.4, #3) helped ABC (8.97 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.1, #1) take home the adults 18-49 crown on Thursday. Leading off the night was a new "The Deep End" (5.08 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.3, #13).

A close second place then went to CBS (12.53 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.0, #T2) with its "Surviving Survivor" (8.29 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.4, #9) special, followed by new episodes of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (14.57 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.2, #6) and "The Mentalist" (14.74 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.3, #T4).

Sharing the silver was FOX (9.85 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.0, #T2) with the winter finales of "Bones" (12.29 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 3.3, #T4) and "Fringe" (7.41 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.6, #8).

Meanwhile, NBC (5.21 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.3, #4) offered up new episodes of "Community" (5.22 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 2.2, #11), "Parks & Recreation" (4.87 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 2.3, #10), "The Office" (7.36 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 3.8, #2), "30 Rock" (5.93 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.7, #7) and "The Jay Leno Show" (3.94 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.2, #14).

And finally, fresh installments of "The Vampire Diaries" (4.01 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.8, #12) and "Supernatural" (2.35 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.1, #15) on The CW (3.18 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.5, #5) rounded out the evening.

Source: Nielsen Media Research