nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for monday, may 14, 2012)

Here are the highlights of the 13 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night:

CBS (10.42 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.3, #1) held off the competition on Monday thanks to a new "How I Met Your Mother" (8.20 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 3.4, #4) followed by the season finales of "How I Met Your Mother" (8.77 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 3.8, #T1), "Two and a Half Men" (11.33 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.8, #T1), "Mike & Molly" (11.63 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.3, #5) and "Hawaii Five-0" (11.29 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.7, #6).

NBC (8.89 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.0, #2) then took home the silver with the two-hour launch of "America's Got Talent" (10.31 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 3.6, #3) plus the season finale of "Smash" (6.06 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.8, #11).

Next up was ABC (11.90 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.5, #3) and a special 90-minute "Dancing With the Stars" (15.55 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.6, #7) alongside the 90-minute premiere of "The Bachelorette" (8.25 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.5, #8).

Meanwhile, FOX (6.76 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.0, #4) offered up the season finale of "Bones" (7.07 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.9, #10) and the penultimate week of "House" (6.45 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 2.2, #9).

And finally, the season finales of "Gossip Girl" (1.17 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T12) and "Hart of Dixie" (1.53 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T12) on The CW (1.35 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.6, #5) closed out the night. Women 18-34 numbers were not available at press time.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+50.00% - Gossip Girl
+17.39% - Hawaii Five-0
+6.45% - Mike & Molly
+6.25% - How I Met Your Mother - 8:00 (vs. 4/30/12)
+4.76% House
+2.70% - Two and a Half Men
0.00% - Bones
0.00% - Hart of Dixie
-1.54% - Dancing With the Stars
-5.26% - Smash

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+158.93% - America's Got Talent (vs. Chuck/The Event)
+90.00% - Two and a Half Men (vs. Two and a Half Men (Repeat))
+80.95% - How I Met Your Mother - 8:30 (vs. Mad Love)
+63.64% - Smash (vs. Law & Order: LA)
+32.00% - Mike & Molly
+15.79% - House (vs. The Chicago Code)
+13.33% - How I Met Your Mother - 8:00
+8.00% - Hawaii Five-0
-14.29% - Hart of Dixie (vs. Gossip Girl)
-25.00% - Gossip Girl (vs. 90210)
-31.06% - The Bachelorette (vs. Dancing With the Stars/Castle)
-41.82% - Dancing With the Stars
-45.71% - Bones (vs. House)

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," 2.6/7; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 3.2/8; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.5/5 with an encore.

In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 1.0/5; "Late Show," 0.7/3; "Nightline," 1.0/4; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.7/4 with an encore.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.4/5 in metered-market households) beat CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.3/5). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.5/3 in 18-49 with an encore) topped "Late Late Show" (0.4/3).

At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.9/4 in metered-market households and a 0.4/3 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

Here are the highlights of the 14 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (5/16/11):

ABC (18.68 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.1, #1) was the network to beat on Monday with a new "Dancing With the Stars" (21.41 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.4, #1) followed by the season finale of "Castle" (13.21 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.3, #3).

Second place then went to FOX (7.39 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.7, #2) with fresh installments of "House" (8.85 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 3.5, #2) and "The Chicago Code" (5.92 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.9, #9).

Next up was CBS (8.01 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.5, #3) and its season finales of "How I Met Your Mother" (7.11 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 3.0, #4), "Mad Love" (5.81 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.1, #7), "Mike & Molly" (8.57 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.5, #T5) and "Hawaii Five-0" (9.83 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.5, #T5), surrounded by a repeat of "Two and a Half Men" (6.92 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.0, #8).

Meanwhile, NBC (4.27 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.3, #4) offered up the season finale of "Chuck" (4.47 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.5, #10) alongside new episodes of "The Event" (4.01 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.3, #11) and "Law & Order: LA" (4.32 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.1, #12).

And finally, the season closers to "90210" (1.65 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.8, #13) and "Gossip Girl" (1.34 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.7, #14) on The CW (1.49 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.8, #5) rounded out the night.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49): House (20.70%), How I Met Your Mother (20.00%), The Event (18.20%), Gossip Girl (16.70%), Mad Love (16.70%), Chuck (15.40%), 90210 (14.30%), Mike & Molly (13.60%), The Chicago Code (11.80%), Hawaii Five-0 (8.70%), Dancing With the Stars (7.30%), Castle (6.50%), Law & Order: LA (-8.30%).

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," 3.7/9; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.6/5 with an encore.

In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 0.9/4; "Late Show," 0.8/3; "Nightline," 1.2/5; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.7/4 with an encore.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.3/4 in metered-market households) tied CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.3/5). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.6/3 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.5/3).

At 1:35 a.m., Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.9/4 in metered-market households with an encore and a 0.4/3 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

Source: Nielsen Media Research