nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for thursday, may 17, 2012)

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

FOX (11.09 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.0, #1) took home top honors on the final Thursday of the May sweeps period with new episodes of "American Idol" (15.85 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.2, #1) and "Touch" (6.34 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.8, #8).

ABC (8.39 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.5, #2) then claimed the silver with its season finales of "Missing" (6.49 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T9), "Grey's Anatomy" (11.15 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 3.9, #2) and "Scandal" (7.52 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.4, #T5).

Next up was CBS (11.37 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.4, #3) with a repeat of "The Big Bang Theory" (8.30 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.4, #T5) followed by the respective season finales of "Rules of Engagement" (7.28 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.1, #7), "Person of Interest" (13.35 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.5, #T3) and "The Mentalist" (12.96 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.5, #T3).

Meanwhile, NBC (2.53 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.1, #4) offered up its mix of "Community" (2.99 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T9), the season finale of "30 Rock" (2.85 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T9), another new "Community" (2.60 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T9), the season finale of "Community" (2.49 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T9) - all three episodes of which matched its series low - and the penultimate week of "Awake" (2.11 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.7, #14).

And finally, The CW (0.84 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.3, #5) closed out the evening with its special "Perez Hilton All Access: Katy Perry" (0.97 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.3, #15) plus a repeat of "The Vampire Diaries" (0.71 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.2, #16). In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Perez Hilton" posted a 0.5 rating while "Diaries" delivered a 0.3 rating.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+20.00% - Scandal
+18.18% - Missing
+14.71% - Grey's Anatomy
+7.69% - American Idol
+4.17% - The Mentalist
-3.85% - Person of Interest
-7.14% - Community
-10.00% - Touch
-13.33% - 30 Rock
-22.22% - Rules of Engagement
-22.22% - Awake

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+18.18% - Community - 8:00 (vs. The Office (Repeat))
+14.71% - Grey's Anatomy
-4.00% - Scandal (vs. Private Practice)
-7.41% - The Mentalist
-7.41% - Person of Interest (vs. The Mentalist (S))
-13.33% - 30 Rock (vs. The Office (Repeat)
-16.00% - Rules of Engagement
-23.53% - Missing (vs. Spring Wipeout)
-32.26% - American Idol
-40.00% - Perez Hilton All Access: Katy Perry (vs. Smallville (Repeat))
-43.75% - Touch (vs. Bones)
-65.79% - Community - 9:00 (vs. The Office)
-65.79% - Community - 9:30 (vs. The Office)
-68.18% - Awake (vs. Parks & Recreation (S)/Parks & Recreation (S))

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," 2.3/6; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 3.0/8; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 3.4/8; 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," 0.7/3; "Late Show," 0.8/4; "Nightline," 1.1/5; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.6/3.

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" (0.5/3 in 18-49) tied "Late Late Show" (0.5/3).

At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.8/3 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 (5/19/11):

FOX (15.62 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.7, #1) cruised to victory on the final Thursday of the May sweeps period with a new "American Idol" (21.19 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 6.2, #1) and the season finale of "Bones" (10.05 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 3.2, #5).

CBS (12.49 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.8, #2) then claimed a distant silver with its finale mix of "The Big Bang Theory" (11.12 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.5, #3), "Rules of Engagement" (8.80 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.5, #T7) and a two-hour "The Mentalist" (13.75 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.7, #6).

Next up was ABC (7.54 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.5, #3) with its season closers to "Wipeout" (5.59 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.7, #11), "Grey's Anatomy" (9.58 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 3.4, #4) and "Private Practice" (7.47 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.5, #T7).

Meanwhile, NBC (4.66 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.4, #4) offered up encores of "The Office" (2.83 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.1, #13) and another "The Office" (3.02 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.5, #12) followed by the one-hour season finale of "The Office" (7.07 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 3.8, #2), a new "Parks & Recreation" (4.25 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 2.4, #9) and the season finale of "Parks & Recreation" (3.72 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 2.0, #10).

And finally, a rebroadcast of the "Smallville" (1.32 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.5, #14) series finale on The CW (1.32 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.5, #5) closed out the evening.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49): The Office (18.80%), Grey's Anatomy (9.70%), The Big Bang Theory (9.40%), Private Practice (8.70%), Rules of Engagement (8.70%), The Mentalist (3.80%), Wipeout (0.00%), Parks & Recreation (0.00%), Parks & Recreation (0.00%), American Idol (0.00%), Bones (-3.00%).

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," 2.6/6; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 3.0/7; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 3.1/7; 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," 0.9/4; "Late Show," 0.8/4; "Nightline," 1.1/4; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.6/3.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.3/4 in metered-market households) trailed CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.4/5). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.5/3 in 18-49) tied "Late Late Show" (0.5/3).

At 1:35 a.m., Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.8/4 in metered-market households and a 0.4/3 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

Source: Nielsen Media Research