nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for friday, september 21, 2012)

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

ABC (5.16 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.5, #1) was the network to beat on Friday with originals from "Shark Tank" (5.88 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.6, #1), "Primetime: What Would You Do?" (4.65 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.5, #2) and "20/20" (4.95 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.4, #3).

CBS (5.38 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.9, #2) then was the most-watched network with its all-repeat lineup of "Undercover Boss" (4.75 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.1, #4), "CSI: NY" (5.84 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T5) and "Blue Bloods" (5.56 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.7, #9).

Next up was FOX (3.10 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.8, #3) with encores of "Bones" (3.17 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T7) and "The Mob Doctor" (3.02 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T7).

Meanwhile, NBC (2.97 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.7, #4) offered up the "2012 ALMA Awards" (2.45 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.6, #10) followed by a repeat of "Grimm" (2.15 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T11) and a new "Dateline NBC" (4.31 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T5).

And finally, a new "America's Next Top Model" (1.33 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T11) plus a repeat of "Nikita" (0.60 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.2, #13) closed out the night over on The CW (0.96 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.4, #5).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+11.11% - Dateline NBC
-11.11% - Shark Tank
-16.67% - Primetime: What Would You Do?
-22.22% - 20/20
-28.57% - America's Next Top Model

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+52.38% - Shark Tank (vs. Modern Family (Repeat)/Modern Family (Repeat))
+50.00% - Primetime: What Would You Do? (vs. Revenge (Repeat))
+40.00% - 20/20
-16.67% - America's Next Top Model (vs. Nikita)
-29.41% - 2012 ALMA Awards (vs. Up All Night (Repeat)/Whitney (Repeat))
-50.00% - Dateline NBC

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," 1.9/5 with an encore; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 2.7/6; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.4/4 with an encore.

· In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 0.8/4; "Late Show," 0.4/2 with an encore; "Nightline," 0.9/4; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.5/3 with an encore.

· At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.4/4 in metered-market households) beat CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.0/3). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.5/3 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.3/2).

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

[NOTE: Today's numbers are courtesy of TVMediaInsights.com due to delays from our usual sources.]

Here are the highlights of the 14 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (9/23/11):

CBS (10.61 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.7, #1) took home top honors on a competitive premiere Friday thanks to the premiere of "A Gifted Man" (9.31 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.4, #6) and the return of "CSI: NY" (10.67 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.8, #3) and "Blue Bloods" (11.85 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.0, #T1).

NBC (5.78 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T2) and FOX (3.69 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T2) then shared the silver as the latter offered up the season openers to "Kitchen Nightmares" (3.84 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.6, #4) and "Fringe" (3.53 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.5, #5).

The Peacock then offered up repeats of "Up All Night" (3.16 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T12) and "Whitney" (3.10 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.9, #11) alongside a two-hour "Dateline NBC" (7.11 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.0, #T1).

Next up was ABC (3.78 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.0, #4) with repeats of "Modern Family" (3.98 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T8), another "Modern Family" (3.82 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.1, #7), "Revenge" (4.13 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T8) and a new "20/20" (3.33 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T8).

And finally, the return of "Nikita" (1.88 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.6, #14) and "Supernatural" (1.95 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T12) on The CW (1.92 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.7, #5) rounded out the night. In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Nikita" posted a 0.7 rating while "Supernatural" delivered a 0.8 rating.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+33.33% - Dateline NBC
-16.67% - 20/20

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+166.67% - Kitchen Nightmares (vs. Human Target (Repeat))
+66.67% - Fringe (vs. The Good Guys)
+48.15% - Dateline NBC (vs. Dateline NBC/Outlaw)
0.00% - A Gifted Man (vs. Medium)
-9.09% - Blue Bloods
-10.00% - CSI: NY
-33.33% - Supernatural
-33.33% - 20/20
-53.85% - Nikita (vs. Smallville)

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," 3.0/7; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.4/6; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 2.9/7; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.4/4 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," 0.6/3; "Nightline," 1.0/4; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.6/3 with an encore.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.7/5 in metered-market households) beat CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.2/4). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.7/4 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.3/2).

At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 1.0/4 in metered-market households and a 0.5/4 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

Source: Nielsen Media Research