nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for thursday, march 24, 2011)

Here are the highlights of the 16 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night:

FOX (14.76 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.4, #1) was still the network to beat on Thursday with a new "American Idol" (20.74 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 6.2, #1) followed by a repeat of "Bones" (8.78 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.5, #T6).

ABC (8.52 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.8, #2) then took home the silver with its mix of "Wipeout" (7.48 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.2, #9), "Grey's Anatomy" (10.09 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.6, #2) and "Private Practice" (7.98 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.7, #5).

Next up was CBS (7.15 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.5, #3) with its coverage of "NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: UConn/San Diego State" (7.02 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.4, #8), an "NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Update" (6.27 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.0, #T10) and "NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Duke/Uarizona" (7.80 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.9, #4).

Meanwhile, NBC (4.70 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.1, #4) offered up fresh installments of "Community" (4.47 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.8, #12), "Perfect Couples" (3.42 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.6, #13), "The Office" (7.07 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 3.4, #3), "Parks & Recreation" (5.21 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 2.5, #T6), "30 Rock" (4.41 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 2.0, #T10) and "Outsourced" (3.64 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.5, #14).

And finally, repeats of "The Vampire Diaries" (1.41 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T15) and "Nikita" (1.39 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T15) on The CW (1.40 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.5, #5) rounded out the evening.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49): Private Practice (42.10%), Parks & Recreation (38.90% vs. 2/24/11), Perfect Couples (33.30%), 30 Rock (17.60%), American Idol (10.70%), Wipeout (10.00%), Grey's Anatomy (9.10% vs. 2/24/11), Outsourced (7.10%), Community (5.90%), The Office (3.00%).

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

In Nielsen's 56 metered markets, household results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 3.1/7; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 1.4/5 with an encore delayed by basketball; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 3.6/8; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.6/5.

In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 1.0/4; "Late Show," 0.5/3 with an encore delayed by basketball; "Nightline," 1.2/5; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.6/3.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.4/5 in metered-market households) beat CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (0.9/4 with an encore delayed by basketball). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.6/4 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.4/3 with an encore delayed by basketball).

At 1:35 a.m., Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.9/4 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 13 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (3/25/10):

Week two of the "NCAA Basketball Championship" (11.08 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.8, #1) kept CBS (11.08 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.8, #1) in front on Thursday.

ABC (8.79 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.8, #2) then had to settle for second place with new episodes of "FlashForward" (6.21 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.8, #9), "Grey's Anatomy" (11.39 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.6, #2) and "Private Practice" (8.77 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.9, #T4).

Next up was NBC (6.02 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.6, #3) with new episodes of "Community" (5.09 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.0, #7), "Parks & Recreation" (4.48 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.9, #8), "The Office" (7.16 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 3.5, #3), "30 Rock" (6.29 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.9, #T4) and "The Marriage Ref" (6.55 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.5, #6).

Meanwhile, The CW (3.06 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.4, #4) offered up the return of "The Vampire Diaries" (3.24 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T10) and "Supernatural" (2.89 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.2, #12).

And finally, repeats of "Bones" (6.07 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T10) and "Fringe" (4.06 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.1, #13) on FOX (5.06 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.3, #5) rounded out the night.

Source: Nielsen Media Research