nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for thursday, november 29, 2012)

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

CBS (13.39 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.3, #1) was the network to beat on Thursday with its mix of "The Big Bang Theory" (17.15 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 5.4, #1), "Two and a Half Men" (13.81 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 4.1, #2), "Person of Interest" (14.33 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.9, #4) and "Elementary" (10.36 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.2, #T6).

FOX (7.02 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.5, #2) then took home the silver with originals from "The X Factor" (8.23 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.7, #5) and "Glee" (5.80 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.2, #T6).

Next up was ABC (6.86 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.1, #3) and fresh installments of "Last Resort" (5.20 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.0, #14) and "Grey's Anatomy" (8.71 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 3.0, #3), "Scandal" (6.67 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.2, #T6).

Meanwhile, NBC (3.40 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.2, #4) offered up new episodes of "30 Rock" (3.61 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.3, #12), "Up All Night" (2.97 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.2, #13), "The Office" (3.89 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.9, #9), "Parks & Recreation" (3.04 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.4, #11) and "Rock Center With Brian Williams" (3.44 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.9, #15).

And finally, new episodes of "The Vampire Diaries" (3.20 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.5, #10) and "Beauty and the Beast" (2.15 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.8, #16) on The CW (2.68 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.1, #5) finished out the night. In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Diaries" delivered a 2.0 rating at 8:00/7:00c and "Beast" a 0.7 rating at 9:00/8:00c.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+33.33% - Beauty and the Beast (vs. 11/15/12)
+25.00% - The Vampire Diaries (vs. 11/15/12)
+8.33% - 30 Rock (vs. 11/15/12)
+8.00% - The X Factor
+4.76% - Scandal (vs. 11/15/12)
+0.00% - Two and a Half Men (vs. 11/15/12)
-1.82% - The Big Bang Theory (vs. 11/15/12)
-3.23% - Grey's Anatomy (vs. 11/15/12)
-4.35% - Elementary (vs. 11/15/12)
-4.35% - Glee
-5.00% - The Office (vs. 11/15/12)
-6.45% - Person of Interest (vs. 11/15/12)
-7.69% - Up All Night (vs. 11/15/12)
-17.65% - Parks & Recreation (vs. 11/15/12)
-18.18% - Rock Center With Brian Williams (vs. 11/15/12)
-23.08% - Last Resort (vs. 11/15/12)

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+275.00% - The Vampire Diaries (vs. The Vampire Diaries (Repeat))
+100.00% - Beauty and the Beast (vs. The Secret Circle (Repeat))
+86.36% - Two and a Half Men (vs. Rules of Engagement (Repeat))
+86.21% - The Big Bang Theory (vs. The Big Bang Theory (Repeat))
+81.25% - Person of Interest (vs. Person of Interest (Repeat))
+42.86% - Grey's Anatomy (vs. CMA Country Christmas)
+37.50% - Elementary (vs. The Mentalist (Repeat))
+4.76% - Scandal (vs. CMA Country Christmas)
-12.90% - The X Factor
-21.43% - Glee (vs. Bones)
-23.53% - 30 Rock (vs. Community)
-26.32% - Parks & Recreation (vs. Whitney)
-30.77% - Rock Center With Brian Williams (vs. Prime Suspect)
-33.33% - Up All Night (vs. Parks & Recreation)
-34.48% - The Office
-54.55% - Last Resort (vs. Santa Claus is Comin' to Town)

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," 2.2/6 with an encore; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 3.3/8; 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," 0.8/4; "Late Show," 0.6/3 with an encore; "Nightline," 1.1/5; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.5/3 with an encore.

* At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.3/4 in metered-market households with an encore) beat CBS's first-run "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.2/4). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.4/3 in 18-49 with an encore) tied "Late Late Show" (0.4/2).

* At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.8/3 in metered-market households with an encore and a 0.3/2 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

Here are the highlights of the 15 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (12/1/11):

FOX (9.51 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.0, #1) held off the competition on Thursday thanks to new episodes of "The X Factor" (10.20 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.1, #1) and "Bones" (8.82 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.8, #4).

ABC (8.42 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.1, #2) then climbed to second place with a repeat of "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town" (7.24 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.2, #T5) followed by the two-hour special "CMA Country Christmas" (9.01 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.1, #7).

Next up was CBS (8.41 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.9, #3) with an all-repeat lineup of "The Big Bang Theory" (10.45 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.9, #T2), "Rules of Engagement" (8.08 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.2, #T5), "Person of Interest" (8.08 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T11) and "The Mentalist" (7.89 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T11).

Meanwhile, NBC (4.44 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.8, #4) offered up new episodes of "Community" (3.92 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.7, #10) - its largest audience since September 29, "Parks & Recreation" (3.72 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.8, #9), "The Office" (5.74 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.9, #T2), "Whitney" (4.02 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.9, #8) and "Prime Suspect" (4.63 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.3, #13).

And finally, repeats of "The Vampire Diaries" (1.11 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T14) and "The Secret Circle" (0.86 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T14) on The CW (0.98 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.4, #5) rounded out the night. In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Diaries" posted a 0.4 rating while "Circle" delivered a 0.5 rating.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+18.18% - Prime Suspect (vs. 11/17/11)
+6.25% - Community (vs. 11/17/11)
+3.33% - The X Factor (vs. 11/17/11)
0.00% - The Office (vs. 11/17/11)
0.00% - Bones (vs. 11/17/11)
0.00% - Whitney (vs. 11/17/11)
-10.00% - Parks & Recreation (vs. 11/17/11)

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+55.56% - Bones (vs. Fringe)
+29.17% - The X Factor (vs. Bones)
-7.14% - Prime Suspect (vs. The Apprentice)
-10.53% - Community
-21.62% - The Office
-21.74% - Parks & Recreation (vs. 30 Rock)
-24.00% - Whitney (vs. 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," 3.0/7; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.3/6 with an encore; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 3.4/8; 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," 0.7/3 with an encore; "Nightline," 1.0/4; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.5/2.

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" (1.2/4). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.6/3 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 with an encore and a 0.3/2 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

Source: Nielsen Media Research