nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for monday, december 5, 2011)

Here are the highlights of the 14 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night:

CBS (12.30 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.0, #1) was Monday's top draw thanks to its usual mix of "How I Met Your Mother" (11.71 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 4.5, #3), "2 Broke Girls" (12.78 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 4.6, #2), "Two and a Half Men" (15.04 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 5.0, #1), "Mike & Molly" (12.74 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 4.2, #4) and "Hawaii Five-0" (10.76 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 3.0, #5).

FOX (7.42 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.0, #2) then claimed the silver with its second annual "American Country Awards" (7.42 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.0, #T8).

Next up was ABC (6.55 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.8, #3) with its mix of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" (9.06 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.8, #6), "Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice" (6.99 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.2, #7), "You Deserve It" (3.57 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.0, #11) and "Castle" (8.05 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.0, #T8).

Meanwhile, NBC (3.90 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.0, #4) offered up a "The Sing-Off" (4.13 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.1, #10) holiday special followed by a new "Rock Center With Brian Williams" (3.42 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.9, #12).

And finally, the fall finales of "Gossip Girl" (1.28 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.6, #14) and "Hart of Dixie" (1.79 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.8, #13) on The CW (1.53 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.7, #5) rounded out the night. In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Gossip Girl" delivered a 1.2 rating while "Dixie" posted a 1.5 rating.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+7.14% - Hawaii Five-0 (vs. 11/21/11)
+4.65% - How I Met Your Mother (vs. 11/21/11)
+4.55% - 2 Broke Girls (vs. 11/21/11)
0.00% - Mike & Molly (vs. 11/21/11)
0.00% - Hart of Dixie
0.00% - Gossip Girl
-3.85% - Two and a Half Men (vs. 11/21/11)
-25.00% - Rock Center With Brian Williams
-25.93% - Castle (vs. 11/21/11)
-28.57% - You Deserve It
-35.29% - The Sing-Off

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+48.39% - 2 Broke Girls (vs. Rules of Engagement)
+25.00% - How I Met Your Mother
+23.53% - Mike & Molly
+21.95% - Two and a Half Men
+11.11% - Hawaii Five-0
-9.09% - Castle
-16.67% - You Deserve It (vs. Skating With the Stars/Modern Family (Repeat))
-27.27% - Hart of Dixie (vs. Gossip Girl)
-40.00% - Gossip Girl (vs. 90210)
-40.00% - Rock Center With Brian Williams (vs. Chase)
-60.71% - The Sing-Off

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," 2.8/7; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.4/6; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 3.3/8; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.4/4.

In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 0.8/4; "Late Show," 0.7/3; "Nightline," 1.1/5; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.5/3.

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" (1.2/4). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.5/3 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.4/2).

At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.8/4 in metered-market households with an encore and a 0.3/2 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

Here are the highlights of the 14 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (12/6/10):

CBS (10.54 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.3, #1) was the network to beat on Monday thanks to new episodes of "How I Met Your Mother" (9.40 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 3.6, #2), "Rules of Engagement" (8.83 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 3.1, #4), "Two and a Half Men" (13.32 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.1, #1), "Mike & Molly" (11.08 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.4, #3) and "Hawaii Five-0" (10.30 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.7, #6).

NBC (7.38 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.4, #2) then took home a rare second place finish with the return of "The Sing-Off" (8.54 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.8, #5) followed by a new "Chase" (5.06 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T8).

Next up was ABC (6.01 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T3) with week three of "Skating With the Stars" (4.80 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T12) as well as a repeat of "Modern Family" (4.45 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.4, #10) and a new "Castle" (8.61 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.2, #7).

Meanwhile, FOX (5.97 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T3) was out of the hunt with its inaugural "American Country Awards" (5.97 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T8).

And finally, new episodes of "90210" (2.14 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T12) and "Gossip Girl" (2.08 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.1, #11) on The CW (2.11 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.0, #5) rounded out the evening.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49): Gossip Girl (10.00%), Rules of Engagement (6.90% vs. 11/22/10), How I Met Your Mother (2.90% vs. 11/22/10), 90210 (0.00%), Chase (-6.30%), Two and a Half Men (-8.90% vs. 11/22/10), Castle (-12.00% vs. 11/15/10), Mike & Molly (-15.00% vs. 11/22/10), Hawaii Five-0 (-15.60% vs. 11/22/10), Skating With the Stars (-16.70%).

In late-night metered market ratings, ABC's "Nightline" (3.3/7) took top honors ahead of CBS's "Letterman" (2.6/6) and NBC's "Leno" (2.9/7). Rounding out the night then were "Kimmel" (1.6/5) on ABC "Ferguson" (1.4/5) on CBS and "Fallon" (1.3/5) and "Daly" (0.9/4) on NBC.

Source: Nielsen Media Research