nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for friday, april 22, 2011)

Here are the highlights of the 11 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night:

CBS (7.67 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.4, #1) rose to the top spot on Friday with its two-hour special "Girls Night Out: Superstar Women of Country" (8.48 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.6, #1). Leading off the night was a repeat of "CSI: NY" (6.04 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T7).

ABC (4.44 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T2) and NBC (5.28 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T2) then shared the silver as the former offered up new episodes of "Shark Tank" (4.90 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T2), "Primetime: What Would You Do?" (3.80 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.1, #6) and "20/20" (4.44 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T4).

The Peacock then served up new episodes of "Friday Night Lights" (3.75 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T7) and "Dateline NBC" (6.05 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T2).

Meanwhile, FOX (3.13 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.1, #4) went with a repeat of "Kitchen Nightmares" (2.74 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T7) followed by a new "Fringe" (3.51 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T4).

And finally, new episodes of "Smallville" (2.23 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T10) and "Supernatural" (1.97 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T10) on The CW (2.10 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.9, #5) rounded out the night.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49): Friday Night Lights (11.10%), Dateline NBC (0.00%), Supernatural (0.00%), Shark Tank (-6.70%), Fringe (-7.70%), Smallville (-10.00%), 20/20 (-20.00%), Primetime: What Would You Do? (-21.40%).

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," 2.7/6 with an encore telecast; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.2/5 with an encore; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 2.9/6; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.4/4 with an encore.

In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 0.8/3 with an encore; "Late Show," 0.6/2 with an encore; "Nightline," 0.9/4; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.5/3 with an encore.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.3/4 in metered-market households with an encore) tied CBS's first-run "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.3/4). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.5/3 in 18-49 with an encore) topped "Late Late Show" (0.4/2).

At 1:35 a.m., Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.9/3 with an encore in metered-market households and a 0.3/2 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

Here are the highlights of the 12 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (4/23/10):

NBC (6.84 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.5, #1) was the network to beat on Friday thanks to new episodes of "Who Do You Think You Are?" (6.35 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T2) and "Dateline NBC" (7.08 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.5, #1).

The silver then went to ABC (3.91 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.2, #2) with a new "Wife Swap" (3.36 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T4), the season finale of "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution" (3.91 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T2) and a new "20/20" (4.47 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T4).

Next up was CBS (5.07 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.0, #3) with repeats of "Ghost Whisperer" (4.67 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T4) and "Medium" (4.53 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T7) followed by a new "Miami Medical" (6.00 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T7).

Meanwhile, FOX (2.80 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.9, #4) had repeats of "House" (3.01 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T11) and "Glee" (2.59 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.9, #10).

And finally, a new "Smallville" (2.23 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T7) and a repeat of "America's Next Top Model" (1.49 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T11) on The CW (1.86 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.8, #5) rounded out the evening.

Source: Nielsen Media Research