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[01/20/12 - 08:34 AM]
Thursday's Broadcast Ratings: FOX Wins Demos With "Idol," CBS Top Viewers
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)

nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for thursday, january 19, 2012)

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

FOX (12.26 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.9, #1) was the demo king on Thursday thanks to night two of the "American Idol" (17.74 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 5.6, #1) season premiere and a new "The Finder" (6.78 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.2, #8).

CBS (14.02 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.5, #2) then was the most-watched network with new episodes of "The Big Bang Theory" (15.71 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 5.2, #2), "Rob" (11.73 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 3.6, #3), "Person of Interest" (14.34 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.3, #5) and "The Mentalist" (14.02 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.9, #T6).

Next up was ABC (7.10 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.5, #3) with original installments of "Winter Wipeout" (5.87 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.8, #12), "Grey's Anatomy" (9.32 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 3.4, #4) and "Private Practice" (6.10 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.1, #9).

Meanwhile, NBC (4.20 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.7, #4) served up its mix of "30 Rock" (4.08 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.6, #13), "Parks & Recreation" (4.31 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 2.0, #10), "The Office" (5.98 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.9, #T6), "Up All Night" (4.03 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.9, #11) and "The Firm" (3.41 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.9, #15).

And finally, new episodes of "The Vampire Diaries" (2.72 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.1, #14) and "The Secret Circle" (1.66 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.7, #16) on The CW (2.19 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.9, #5) rounded out the night. In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Diaries" posted a 1.5 rating while "Circle" delivered a 0.9 rating.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+29.41% - The Finder
+7.41% - The Mentalist
+5.26% - Parks & Recreation
+3.12% - Person of Interest
0.00% - The Big Bang Theory
0.00% - The Office
-5.00% - Up All Night
-8.33% - The Vampire Diaries
-10.00% - The Firm
-10.53% - Grey's Anatomy
-11.11% - 30 Rock
-12.20% - Rob
-12.50% - Private Practice
-12.50% - The Secret Circle
-18.18% - Winter Wipeout

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+112.50% - Grey's Anatomy (vs. Grey's Anatomy (Repeat))
+110.00% - Private Practice (vs. Private Practice (Repeat))
+83.33% - The Vampire Diaries (vs. The Vampire Diaries (Repeat))
+40.00% - The Secret Circle (vs. Nikita (Repeat))
+33.33% - Rob (vs. Bleep My Dad Says)
+23.81% - The Big Bang Theory
+6.45% - Person of Interest (vs. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation)
+3.57% - The Mentalist
-4.76% - Parks & Recreation (vs. Perfect Couples)
-27.27% - 30 Rock (vs. Community)
-28.21% - American Idol
-30.77% - Winter Wipeout
-35.56% - The Office
-38.89% - The Finder (vs. Bones)
-40.63% - Up All Night (vs. Parks & Recreation)
-60.00% - The Firm (vs. 30 Rock/Outsourced)

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," 2.7/7; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 3.0/8; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 4.0/9; 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," 0.8/4; "Late Show," 0.8/4; "Nightline," 1.3/5; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.6/3.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.5/5 in metered-market households) beat CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.4/5). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.6/4 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.4/2).

At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 1.0/4 in metered-market households with an encore and a 0.4/3 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.


Here are the highlights of the 17 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (1/20/11):

Night two of "American Idol" (22.63 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 7.8, #1) sparked FOX (16.79 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 5.7, #1) to victory on Thursday. Leading out of the broadcast was a new "Bones" (10.95 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 3.6, #4).

CBS (13.63 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.1, #2) then took home the silver with new episodes of "The Big Bang Theory" (13.58 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 4.2, #3), "Bleep My Dad Says" (10.29 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.7, #T8), "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (14.29 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.1, #6) and "The Mentalist" (14.66 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.8, #7).

Next up was NBC (5.43 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.8, #3) with its new all-comedy lineup of "Community" (4.74 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 2.2, #11), "Perfect Couples" (4.16 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 2.1, #12), "The Office" (8.28 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 4.5, #2), "Parks & Recreation" (6.19 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 3.2, #5), "30 Rock" (5.28 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 2.7, #T8) and "Outsourced" (3.95 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.8, #13).

Meanwhile, ABC (5.42 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.7, #4) offered up a new "Wipeout" (8.25 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.6, #10) followed by repeats of "Grey's Anatomy" (4.71 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.6, #14) and "Private Practice" (3.30 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.0, #15).

And finally, repeats of "The Vampire Diaries" (1.37 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.6, #16) and "Nikita" (1.31 million viewers, #17; adults 18-49: 0.5, #17) on The CW (1.34 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.5, #5) rounded out the evening.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49): Bones (56.50% vs. 12/9/10), 30 Rock (22.70% vs. 12/9/10), The Office (18.40% vs. 12/9/10), Community (10.00%), The Big Bang Theory (-4.50% vs. 1/6/11), CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (-6.10% vs. 1/6/11), The Mentalist (-6.70% vs. 1/6/11), Bleep My Dad Says (-6.90%), Wipeout (-27.80%), Outsourced (-28.00% vs. 12/2/10).

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," 2.9/7; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 3.2/8; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 2.9/7; 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," 1.1/5; "Late Show," 0.9/4; "Nightline," 0.9/4; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.5/3.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.4/5 in metered-market households) trailed CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.5/5). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.7/4 in 18-49) tied "Late Late Show" (0.5/3).

At 1:35 a.m., Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.7/3 in metered-market households with an encore and a 0.4/3 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

Source: Nielsen Media Research





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