nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for friday, january 6, 2012)

Here are the highlights of the 12 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night:

FOX (7.86 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.3, #1) moved into the top spot on Friday with its coverage of the "2012 AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic" (7.86 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.3, #1).

CBS (10.09 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.7, #2) then had to settle for second place with fresh installments of "A Gifted Man" (8.52 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.5, #5), "CSI: NY" (10.53 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.8, #T2) and "Blue Bloods" (11.21 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.8, #T2).

Next up was ABC (5.49 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.4, #3) with the penultimate week of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" (5.41 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T6), a second hour of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" (6.03 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.6, #4) and "20/20" (5.04 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.3, #8).

Meanwhile, NBC (3.60 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.0, #4) offered up a new "Chuck" (3.38 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.0, #9), a repeat of "Grimm" (2.43 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.7, #11) and a fresh "Dateline NBC" (4.99 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T6).

And finally, the return of "Nikita" (1.55 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.6, #12) and "Supernatural" (1.77 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.8, #10) on The CW (1.66 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.7, #5) closed out the evening.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+30.00% - 20/20 (vs. 12/23/11)
+28.57% - CSI: NY (vs. 12/2/11)
+25.00% - A Gifted Man (vs. 12/2/11)
+25.00% - Chuck
+23.08% - Extreme Makeover: Home Edition - 9:00 (vs. 12/16/11)
+20.00% - Nikita (vs. 12/2/11)
+16.67% - Extreme Makeover: Home Edition - 8:00 (vs. 12/16/11)
+16.67% - Dateline NBC
+14.29% - Supernatural (vs. 12/2/11)
+12.50% - Blue Bloods (vs. 12/2/11)

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+60.00% - Supernatural (vs. Supernatural (Repeat))
+38.46% - Blue Bloods (vs. The Mentalist (Repeat))
+12.50% - CSI: NY
+7.69% - Extreme Makeover: Home Edition - 8:00 (vs. Supernanny)
+7.69% - Dateline NBC
+7.14% - A Gifted Man (Vs. Medium)
0.00% - Nikita (vs. Smallville (Repeat))
-5.88% - Extreme Makeover: Home Edition - 9:00 (vs. Primetime: What Would You Do?)
-16.67% - Chuck (vs. Minute to Win It (Repeat))
-17.86% - 2012 AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic (vs. Cotton Bowl: LSU vs. Texas)
-23.53% - 20/20

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," 3.0/7; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.5/6; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 2.9/6; 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," 0.9/4; "Late Show," 0.5/2; "Nightline," 0.8/3; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.5/3.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.7/5 in metered-market households) tied CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.2/4). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.7/4 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.3/2).

At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 1.0/4 in metered-market households and a 0.5/3 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

[NOTE: Today's numbers are courtesy of TVMediaInsights.com due to delays from our usual sources.]

Here are the highlights of the 11 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (1/7/11):

Coverage of the 75th "Cotton Bowl: LSU vs. Texas" (9.39 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.8, #1) had no problem putting FOX (9.39 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.8, #1) on top on Friday.

ABC (5.32 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.6, #2) then scooped up the leftovers with its mix of "Supernanny" (4.81 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T6), "Primetime: What Would You Do?" (5.15 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T2) and "20/20" (6.00 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T2).

Next up was CBS (7.90 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.5, #3) with new episodes of "Medium" (6.90 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.4, #5) and "CSI: NY" (9.44 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.6, #4) followed by a repeat of "The Mentalist" (7.36 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T6).

Meanwhile, NBC (5.08 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.3, #4) was out the hunt with a repeat of "Minute to Win It" (4.29 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.2, #9) and a new two-hour "Dateline NBC" (5.49 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T6).

And finally, repeats of "Smallville" (1.50 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.6, #10) and "Supernatural" (1.24 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.5, #11) on The CW (1.37 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.5, #5) rounded out the evening.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49): 20/20 (70.00% vs. 12/17/10), Primetime: What Would You Do? (30.80% vs. 12/17/10), Supernanny (30.00% vs. 12/17/10), Medium (0.00% vs. 12/3/10), CSI: NY (-5.90% vs. 12/3/10), Dateline NBC (-7.10% vs. 12/17/10).

Source: Nielsen Media Research