nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for thursday, march 15, 2012)

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

FOX (12.09 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.4, #1) held onto the top spot on Thursday with a new "American Idol" (15.52 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.5, #1) followed by a rebroadcast of the "Touch" (8.67 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.2, #T4) premiere.

ABC (9.08 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.4, #2) then claimed the silver with the debut of "Missing" (10.56 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.0, #T7) alongside new episodes of "Grey's Anatomy" (9.67 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.0, #2) - a series low - and "Private Practice" (7.01 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.2, #T4) - tied as its season low.

Next up was NBC (4.59 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.9, #3) with the return of "Community" (4.89 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.2, #T4) - a season high - followed by the relocated "30 Rock" (4.05 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 2.0, #T7) - also a season high - and new episodes of "The Office" (4.88 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.3, #3) - tied as its series low, "Up All Night" (3.63 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.7, #10) and "Awake" (5.05 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.6, #11).

Meanwhile, CBS (4.72 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.7, #4) offered up its mix of "NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Wichita State vs. VCU" (5.15 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.8, #9), "NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Update" (4.40 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T12) and "NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Indiana vs. New Mexico State" (4.24 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T12).

And finally, new episodes of "The Vampire Diaries" (2.62 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.2, #14) and "The Secret Circle" (1.62 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.7, #15) on The CW (2.12 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.0, #5) closed out the evening. In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Diaries" posted a 1.9 rating while "Circle" delivered a 1.0 rating.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+46.67% - Community (vs. 12/8/11)
+42.86% - 30 Rock
0.00% - Private Practice (vs. 2/23/12)
0.00% - Up All Night
0.00% - Awake
-3.23% - Grey's Anatomy (vs. 2/23/12)
-6.25% - American Idol
-7.69% - The Vampire Diaries (vs. 2/16/12)
-11.54% - The Office
-12.50% - The Secret Circle (vs. 2/16/12)

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+140.00% - The Vampire Diaries (vs. The Vampire Diaries (Repeat))
+100.00% - Private Practice (vs. Off the Map (Repeat))
+66.67% - 30 Rock (vs. Perfect Couples)
+57.89% - Grey's Anatomy (vs. Private Practice (S))
+53.33% - The Office (vs. The Office (Repeat))
+40.00% - The Secret Circle (vs. Nikita (Repeat))
+29.41% - Community
+5.88% - NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Wichita State vs. VCU (vs. BYU/Wofford)
+3.23% - Awake (vs. 30 Rock/Outsourced)
0.00% - Missing (vs. Spring Wipeout)
0.00% - NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Indiana vs. New Mexico State (vs. St. John's/Gonzaga)
-5.56% - Up All Night (vs. Parks & Recreation)
-6.25% - NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Update
-19.64% - American Idol

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," 1.0/3 with an encore delayed by basketball; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 3.5/8; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.8/5.

In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 0.8/4 with an encore; "Late Show," 0.3/2 with an encore delayed by basketball; "Nightline," 1.2/5; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.7/4.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.3/4 in metered-market households with an encore) beat CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (0.7/3 with an encore delayed by basketball). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.5/3 in 18-49 with an encore) topped "Late Late Show" (0.2/2 with an encore delayed by basketball).

At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.9/4 with an encore in metered-market households and a 0.3/3 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

Here are the highlights of the 16 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (3/17/11):

FOX (15.46 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.5, #1) held onto top honors on Thursday with new episodes of "American Idol" (19.00 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 5.6, #1) - another season low - and "Bones" (11.92 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.4, #2).

ABC (5.76 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.7, #2) then won a tight race for second with a new "Wipeout" (7.15 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.0, #3), a special earlier "Private Practice" (6.09 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.9, #4) and a repeat of "Off the Map" (4.05 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.1, #14).

Next up was CBS (4.75 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.6, #3) with its coverage of "NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: BYU/Wofford" (5.26 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T6), an "NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Update" (4.44 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.6, #9) and "NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: St. John's/Gonzaga" (4.15 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T10).

Meanwhile, NBC (3.79 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.5, #4) offered up its mix of "Community" (4.21 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T6), "Perfect Couples" (2.89 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.2, #13), a repeat of "The Office" (3.70 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T10), "Parks & Recreation" (4.06 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.8, #5), "30 Rock" (4.24 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T6) and "Outsourced" (3.64 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.4, #12) - all originals of which were season lows.

And finally, repeats of "The Vampire Diaries" (1.23 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.5, #16) and "Nikita" (1.53 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.5, #15) on The CW (1.38 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.5, #5) rounded out the evening.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49): Bones (0.00%), Community (-5.60% vs. 2/24/11), Outsourced (-6.70% vs. 2/24/11), Wipeout (-9.10% vs. 2/24/11), American Idol (-13.80%), Perfect Couples (-14.30% vs. 2/24/11), Private Practice (-20.80% vs. 2/24/11), Parks & Recreation (-25.00% vs. 2/24/11), 30 Rock (-26.10% vs. 2/24/11).

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," 1.3/4 with an encore delayed by basketball; 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," 1.0/4; "Late Show," 0.4/2 with an encore delayed by basketball; "Nightline," 1.0/4; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.5/3.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.3/5 in metered-market households) beat CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (0.9/4 with an encore delayed by basketball). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.5/3 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.3/3 with an encore delayed by basketball).

At 1:35 a.m., Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.8/3 in metered-market households and a 0.2/2 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

Source: Nielsen Media Research