nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for sunday, may 15, 2011)

Here are the highlights of the 15 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night:

CBS (12.38 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.3, #1) took home top honors on Sunday thanks to the special two-hour season finale of "Survivor: Redemption Island" (13.10 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.0, #1). Bookending the broadcast were a new "60 Minutes" (12.03 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T11) and the "Survivor: Redemption Island Reunion" (11.28 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.5, #2).

ABC (8.94 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.5, #2) then snagged second place with a new "America's Funniest Home Videos" (7.24 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.8, #10) followed by the season finales of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" (8.54 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.1, #9) and "Desperate Housewives" (9.99 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 3.0, #4).

Next up was FOX (4.86 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.1, #3) with its mix of "The Simpsons" (3.14 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.3, #13), "American Dad" (3.89 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T11), "The Simpsons" (6.00 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.5, #5), "Bob's Burgers" (4.66 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 2.2, #8), "Family Guy" (6.55 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 3.3, #3) and the season finale of "The Cleveland Show" (4.93 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 2.3, #7).

And finally, fresh installments of "Dateline NBC" (5.24 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.1, #14), "Minute to Win It" (3.47 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.0, #15) and "The Celebrity Apprentice" (6.57 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.4, #6) on NBC (5.46 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.7, #4) rounded out the evening.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49): Dateline NBC (37.50%), American Dad (13.30%), Bob's Burgers (10.00%), Desperate Housewives (7.10%), America's Funniest Home Videos (5.90%), The Cleveland Show (4.50%), Family Guy (3.10%), The Simpsons (0.00%), The Celebrity Apprentice (0.00%), Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (0.00%), 60 Minutes (-26.10%).

Here are the highlights of the 16 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (5/16/10):

The two-hour season finale of "Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains" (13.33 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.2, #1) went out on top as CBS (12.23 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.4, #1) claimed victory on Sunday. Bookending the broadcast were "60 Minutes" (11.12 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.7, #12) and the "Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains Reunion" (11.16 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.7, #4).

The silver then went to ABC (9.89 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.9, #2) with its finales of "America's Funniest Home Videos" (7.23 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.0, #11), "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" (9.71 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.9, #T7), "Desperate Housewives" (12.62 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 4.0, #2) and "Brothers & Sisters" (9.99 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 3.0, #6).

Next up was FOX (5.16 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.4, #3) and its mix of "'Til Death" (2.38 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.9, #15), a "The Simpsons" (3.13 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T13) and new episodes of "The Simpsons" (6.26 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.9, #T7), "The Cleveland Show" (5.78 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 2.7, #9), "Family Guy" (7.59 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 3.8, #3) and "American Dad" (5.82 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 3.4, #5).

And finally, "The 59th Annual Miss America Pageant" (5.27 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T13) and the penultimate week of "The Celebrity Apprentice" (6.15 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 2.3, #10) couldn't get NBC (5.71 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.9, #4) out of its rut.

Source: Nielsen Media Research