nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for sunday, march 4, 2012)

Here are the highlights of the 17 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night:

ABC (8.60 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.6, #1) took home top honors on Sunday with new episodes of "America's Funniest Home Videos" (8.04 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.2, #T7), "Once Upon a Time" (10.62 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.4, #1) and "Desperate Housewives" (8.15 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.5, #T5) followed by the premiere of "GCB" (7.60 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.2, #T7).

CBS (10.39 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.1, #2) then snagged the silver with its mix of "60 Minutes" (11.47 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T13), "The Amazing Race 20" (10.37 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.8, #T2), "The Good Wife" (9.70 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.8, #12) - its lowest original rating ever - and "CSI: Miami" (10.00 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.0, #T10).

Next up was FOX (3.99 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.0, #3) with a repeat of "Bob's Burgers" (2.00 million viewers, #17; adults 18-49: 0.8, #17) followed by new episodes of "The Cleveland Show" (3.16 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T13) and "The Simpsons" (5.17 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 2.5, #T5), the season finale of "Napoleon Dynamite" (4.04 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 2.0, #T10) plus new episodes of "Family Guy" (5.33 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 2.8, #T2) and "American Dad" (4.26 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 2.1, #9).

And finally, NBC (5.53 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.7, #4) closed out the evening with "Dateline NBC" (5.09 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.0, #16), a one-hour "The Celebrity Apprentice" (3.77 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.1, #15) recap and a new two-hour "The Celebrity Apprentice" (6.64 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.8, #T2).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+55.56% - The Celebrity Apprentice
+33.33% - The Cleveland Show (vs. 2/19/12)
+33.33% - The Amazing Race 20
+23.08% - 60 Minutes
+13.64% - Desperate Housewives (vs. 2/19/12)
+13.33% - Once Upon a Time (vs. 2/19/12)
+10.00% - America's Funniest Home Videos (vs. 2/19/12)
+3.70% - Family Guy (vs. 2/19/12)
0.00% - Napoleon Dynamite (vs. 2/19/12)
-3.85% - The Simpsons (vs. 2/19/12)
-4.55% - American Dad (vs. 2/19/12)
-4.76% - CSI: Miami (vs. 2/19/12)
-9.09% - Dateline NBC
-14.29% - The Good Wife (vs. 2/19/12)

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+22.22% - America's Funniest Home Videos
+3.70% - The Celebrity Apprentice
+3.70% - The Amazing Race 20
+3.03% - Once Upon a Time (vs. Secret Millionaire)
0.00% - GCB (vs. Brothers & Sisters)
-5.88% - The Cleveland Show (vs. American Dad (Repeat))
-5.88% - 60 Minutes
-8.70% - American Dad (vs. The Cleveland Show)
-9.68% - Family Guy
-10.71% - The Simpsons
-13.04% - Napoleon Dynamite (vs. Bob's Burgers)
-16.67% - CSI: Miami
-26.47% - Desperate Housewives
-28.57% - Dateline NBC
-33.33% - The Good Wife (vs. Undercover Boss)

Here are the highlights of the 17 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (3/6/11):

ABC (9.79 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.7, #1) rose to the top spot on Sunday among adults 18-49 with a new "America's Funniest Home Videos" (7.75 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.8, #12) followed by the return of "Secret Millionaire" (12.61 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.3, #2) and new episodes of "Desperate Housewives" (11.31 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.4, #1) and "Brothers & Sisters" (7.50 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.2, #11).

CBS (10.90 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.4, #2) then took home the silver with its mix of "60 Minutes" (12.25 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T13), "The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business" (9.76 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.7, #T5), "Undercover Boss" (10.92 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.7, #T5) and "CSI: Miami" (10.65 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.4, #8).

Next up was FOX (5.01 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.3, #3) with repeats of "The Simpsons" (3.89 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T13) and "American Dad" (3.89 million viewers, #17; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T13) followed by new episodes of "The Simpsons" (6.20 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 2.8, #4), "Bob's Burgers" (4.94 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 2.3, #T9), "Family Guy" (6.32 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 3.1, #3) and "The Cleveland Show" (4.82 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 2.3, #T9).

And finally, a new "Dateline NBC" (5.31 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.4, #17) led into the premiere of "America's Next Great Restaurant" (4.57 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.6, #16) and the return of "The Celebrity Apprentice" (7.89 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.7, #T5) on NBC (6.42 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.1, #4). A year ago, "Apprentice" returned to slightly stronger numbers (8.26 million viewers; adults 18-49: 3.2 on 3/14/10).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49): Dateline NBC (75.00%), 60 Minutes (41.70%), The Amazing Race 17 (28.60%), CSI: Miami (20.00%), Brothers & Sisters (10.00% vs. 2/20/11), Desperate Housewives (9.70% vs. 2/20/11), Bob's Burgers (4.50% vs. 2/20/11), Undercover Boss (3.80% vs. 2/20/11), The Simpsons (0.00% vs. 2/20/11), America's Funniest Home Videos (-5.30% vs. 2/20/11), Family Guy (-6.10% vs. 2/20/11), The Cleveland Show (-11.50% vs. 2/20/11).

Source: Nielsen Media Research