nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for thursday, april 12, 2012)

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

FOX (11.78 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.2, #1) was the network to beat on Thursday with fresh installments of "American Idol" (15.34 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.2, #1) and "Touch" (8.22 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.3, #6).

CBS (8.83 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.4, #2) then snagged the silver with its special mix of "The Big Bang Theory" (9.58 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.8, #4), a new "Rules of Engagement" (8.46 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.7, #5) - flat with last week's season low, another "The Big Bang Theory" (10.25 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.0, #2), "2 Broke Girls" (7.37 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 2.1, #T7) and "Person of Interest" (8.66 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.8, #10).

Next up was ABC (8.06 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.1, #3) with week two of its lineup of "Missing" (7.87 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T12), "Grey's Anatomy" (8.84 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.9, #3) and "Scandal" (7.45 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.1, #T7).

Meanwhile, NBC (3.17 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.3, #4) offered up originals of "Community" (3.18 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T12), "30 Rock" (3.04 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T12) and "The Office" (4.35 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 2.1, #T7) - its series low - followed by the season finale of "Up All Night" (3.18 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.5, #11) and a new "Awake" (2.65 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.9, #15) - matching its series low.

And finally, repeats of "The Vampire Diaries" (1.08 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.4, #16) and "The Secret Circle" (0.85 million viewers, #17; adults 18-49: 0.3, #17) on The CW (0.96 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.4, #5) rounded out the evening. In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Diaries" posted a 0.5 rating while "Circle" delivered a 0.3 rating.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+36.36% - Up All Night
+16.67% - 30 Rock
+10.53% - American Idol
+7.69% - Community
+3.57% - Grey's Anatomy
0.00% - Missing
0.00% - Rules of Engagement
0.00% - Touch
0.00% - Awake
0.00% - Scandal
-8.70% - The Office (vs. 3/15/12)

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+162.50% - Scandal (vs. Private Practice (Repeat))
+123.08% - Grey's Anatomy (vs. Grey's Anatomy (Repeat))
+107.69% - Rules of Engagement
+27.27% - 30 Rock (vs. The Paul Reiser Show)
0.00% - Community
-26.32% - Missing (vs. Spring Wipeout)
-31.15% - American Idol
-37.84% - Touch (vs. Bones)
-42.31% - Up All Night (vs. Parks & Recreation)
-46.15% - The Office
-53.85% - Awake (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," 2.5/6; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.4/6; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 3.8/9; 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," 0.7/4; "Late Show," 0.6/3; "Nightline," 1.3/6; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.7/4.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.3/4 in metered-market household) beat CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.1/4). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.5/3 in 18-4) topped "Late Late Show" (0.4/2).

At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.9/4 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 17 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (4/14/11):

FOX (16.45 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.9, #1) coast to victory on Thursday with its combination of "American Idol" (20.98 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 6.1, #1) and "Bones" (11.93 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.7, #3).

The silver then went to NBC (4.63 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.1, #2) with a new "Community" (3.48 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T10) - a series low, followed by the premiere of "The Paul Reiser Show" (3.31 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.1, #15) - NBC's lowest-rated in-season comedy series premiere ever, and fresh installments of "The Office" (7.69 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 3.9, #2), "Parks & Recreation" (5.23 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.6, #4), "30 Rock" (4.50 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 2.2, #5) and "Outsourced" (3.54 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.7, #9).

Next up was CBS (8.53 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.6, #3) and its all-repeat lineup of "The Big Bang Theory" (7.47 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.8, #8), "Rules of Engagement" (5.83 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T12), "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (8.15 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T10) and "The Mentalist" (10.78 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.9, #T6).

Meanwhile, ABC (4.42 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.3, #4) offered up a new "Wipeout" (6.20 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.9, #T6) alongside repeats of "Grey's Anatomy" (4.20 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T12) and "Private Practice" (2.85 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T16).

And finally, new episodes of "The Vampire Diaries" (2.79 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 1.2, #14) and "Nikita" (2.16 million viewers, #17; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T16) on The CW (2.47 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.0, #5) rounded out the night.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49): Outsourced (30.80%), The Office (14.70% vs. 3/24/11), Nikita (14.30%), 30 Rock (10.00% vs. 3/24/11), Bones (8.80%), Parks & Recreation (4.00% vs. 3/24/11), American Idol (0.00%), Wipeout (0.00% vs. 3/31/11), The Vampire Diaries (0.00%), Community (-22.20% vs. 3/24/11).

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," 2.7/7; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 2.6/6; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.3/4.

In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 1.0/4; "Late Show," 0.7/3; "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 with an encore) beat CBS's first-run "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.3/5). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.6/4 in 18-49 with an encore) topped "Late Late Show" (0.4/2).

At 1:35 a.m., Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.8/4 with an encore in metered-market households and a 0.3/3 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

Source: Nielsen Media Research