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[09/28/12 - 08:37 AM]
Thursday's Broadcast Ratings: "Big Bang Theory" Return Puts on CBS on Top
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)

nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for thursday, september 27, 2012)

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

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Due to local market NFL preemptions, Fast Nationals for NBC are approximate.]

CBS (13.80 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.4, #1) pulled in front on Thursday with the season premieres of "The Big Bang Theory" (15.31 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.8, #1), "Two and a Half Men" (12.37 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 3.5, #3) - its lowest-rated telecast ever, "Person of Interest" (14.27 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.9, #6) and "Elementary" (13.29 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.1, #5).

ABC (9.21 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.9, #2) then took home the silver with the launch of "Last Resort" (9.08 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.2, #T9) followed by the return of "Grey's Anatomy" (11.55 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 4.3, #2) and "Scandal" (7.01 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.2, #T9).

Next up was FOX (7.56 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.8, #3) and its week three lineup of "The X Factor" (9.19 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 3.2, #4) and "Glee" (5.93 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.5, #7).

Meanwhile, NBC (4.66 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.7, #4) offered up its mix of "Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday" (5.43 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.7, #13), "Up All Night" (4.46 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.8, #12), "The Office" (5.23 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 2.4, #8), "Parks & Recreation" (4.46 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 2.1, #11) and "Rock Center With Brian Williams" (4.17 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.2, #14).

And finally, a repeat of "The Vampire Diaries" (0.77 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T15) and a new "The Next" (0.68 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T15) closed out the night for The CW (0.73 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.3, #5). In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "The Vampire Diaries" delivered a 0.3 rating while "The Next" posted a 0.2 rating.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
38.46% - Up All Night
23.53% - Parks & Recreation
14.29% - The Office
9.09% - Rock Center With Brian Williams
6.25% - Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday
-5.88% - The X Factor
-13.79% - Glee
-50.00% - The Next

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+46.67% - Last Resort (vs. Charlie's Angels)
+29.63% - Two and a Half Men (vs. How to Be a Gentleman)
+24.00% - Elementary (vs. The Mentalist)
+22.86% - Grey's Anatomy
+7.41% - Person of Interest
0.00% - The Big Bang Theory
-5.56% - Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday (vs. Community)
-11.11% - The X Factor
-14.29% - Up All Night (vs. Parks & Recreation)
-16.00% - Parks & Recreation (vs. Whitney)
-20.00% - Rock Center With Brian Williams (vs. Prime Suspect)
-21.43% - Scandal (vs. Private Practice)
-29.41% - The Office
-40.48% - Glee (vs. The X Factor)
-66.67% - The Next (vs. The Secret Circle)

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," 2.9/8; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 3.1/8; 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," 1.1/5; "Late Show," 0.8/4; "Nightline," 1.0/4; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.6/3.

· At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.5/5 in metered-market households) beat CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.4/5). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.6/4 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 and a 0.4/3 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 (9/29/11):

FOX (11.92 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.8, #1) held onto the demo crown on Thursday with new episodes of "The X Factor" (11.28 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 3.6, #3) and a second "The X Factor" (12.57 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 4.2, #2).

CBS (12.29 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.0, #2) then was the most-watched network with its mix of "The Big Bang Theory" (14.55 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.8, #1), the debut of "How to Be a Gentleman" (8.96 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.7, #T7), "Person of Interest" (12.42 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.7, #T7) and "The Mentalist" (12.71 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.5, #T9).

Next up was ABC (8.35 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.6, #3) with week two of "Charlie's Angels" (7.15 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T13) and "Grey's Anatomy" (10.02 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 3.5, #4) followed by the return of "Private Practice" (7.89 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.8, #6).

Next up was NBC (5.25 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.1, #4) and its lineup of "Community" (4.05 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.8, #12), "Parks & Recreation" (4.36 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 2.1, #11), "The Office" (6.60 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 3.4, #5), "Whitney" (5.37 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 2.5, #T9) and "Prime Suspect" (5.55 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T13).

And finally, fresh installments of "The Vampire Diaries" (2.70 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.3, #15) and "The Secret Circle" (2.10 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.9, #16) on The CW (2.40 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.1, #5) rounded out the night. In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Diaries" posted a 2.0 rating while "Circle" delivered a 1.4 rating.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+8.33% - The Vampire Diaries
+5.88% - Community
+5.00% - Parks & Recreation
0.00% - The Big Bang Theory
0.00% - The Secret Circle
-4.55% - The X Factor - 9:00
-7.69% - The X Factor - 8:00
-10.26% - Grey's Anatomy
-10.71% - The Mentalist
-12.82% - The Office
-12.90% - Person of Interest
-16.67% - Prime Suspect
-21.88% - Whitney
-28.57% - Charlie's Angels

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+121.05% - The X Factor - 9:00 (vs. Fringe)
+44.00% - The X Factor - 8:00 (vs. Bones)
+36.36% - Charlie's Angels (vs. My Generation)
+11.63% - The Big Bang Theory
+7.14% - Prime Suspect (vs. The Apprentice)
-3.45% - Private Practice
-5.26% - Community
-8.11% - The Office
-10.00% - The Secret Circle (vs. Nikita)
-10.00% - Person of Interest (vs. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation)
-10.71% - Whitney (vs. Outsourced)
-13.33% - The Vampire Diaries
-15.63% - How to Be a Gentleman (vs. Bleep My Dad Says)
-16.67% - The Mentalist
-19.23% - Parks & Recreation (vs. 30 Rock)
-20.45% - Grey's Anatomy

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," 2.7/7; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 3.4/8; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.5/5.

In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 0.9/4; "Late Show," 0.7/4; "Nightline," 1.1/5; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.5/3.

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" (1.3/3). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.6/4 in 18-49) 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

Source: Nielsen Media Research





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