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[12/07/12 - 08:25 AM]
Thursday's Broadcast Ratings: CBS Takes Top Spots with "The Big Bang Theory"
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)

nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for thursday, december 6, 2012)

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

CBS (13.91 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.4, #1) took home top honors on Thursday with its mix of "The Big Bang Theory" (17.41 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 5.3, #1), "Two and a Half Men" (14.22 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 4.2, #2), "Person of Interest" (14.98 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.2, #3) and "Elementary" (10.94 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.3, #7).

FOX (6.59 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.3, #2) then snagged the silver with originals from "The X Factor" (7.72 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.4, #6) and "Glee" (5.46 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.1, #T8).

Next up was ABC (7.26 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.2, #3) and its lineup of "Last Resort" (5.47 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T11), "Grey's Anatomy" (8.93 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 3.0, #4) and "Scandal" (7.39 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.5, #5).

Meanwhile, NBC (3.48 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.3, #4) offered up its combination of "30 Rock" (3.33 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T13), "Up All Night" (2.94 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T11), "The Office" (4.18 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 2.1, #T8), "Parks & Recreation" (3.28 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.5, #10) and "Rock Center With Brian Williams" (3.58 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.0, #15).

And finally, new episodes of "The Vampire Diaries" (2.40 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T13) and "Beauty and the Beast" (1.41 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.5, #16) on The CW (1.91 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.8, #5) closed out the night. In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Diaries" delivered a 1.8 rating at 8:00/7:00c and "Beast" a 0.7 rating at 9:00/8:00c.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+20.00% - Last Resort
+13.64% - Scandal
+11.11% - Rock Center With Brian Williams
+10.53% - The Office
+10.34% - Person of Interest
+7.14% - Parks & Recreation
+4.55% - Elementary
+2.44% - Two and a Half Men
0.00% - Grey's Anatomy
0.00% - Up All Night
-1.85% - The Big Bang Theory
-4.55% - Glee
-11.11% - The X Factor
-15.38% - 30 Rock
-26.67% - The Vampire Diaries
-37.50% - Beauty and the Beast

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+175.00% - The Vampire Diaries (vs. The Vampire Diaries (Repeat))
+78.57% - Scandal (vs. The Great American Auction)
+66.67% - Beauty and the Beast (vs. The Secret Circle (Repeat))
+57.89% - Grey's Anatomy (vs. America's Funniest Home Videos: Christmas Spectacular)
+31.25% - Two and a Half Men (vs. Rules of Engagement)
+12.77% - The Big Bang Theory
+6.67% - Person of Interest
-20.00% - The X Factor
-21.05% - Parks & Recreation (vs. Whitney)
-22.22% - Glee (vs. Bones)
-23.33% - Elementary (vs. The Mentalist)
-26.67% - 30 Rock (vs. Community)
-27.59% - The Office
-29.41% - Up All Night (vs. Parks & Recreation)
-36.84% - Last Resort (vs. Winter Wipeout)
-37.50% - Rock Center With Brian Williams (vs. Grimm)

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," 3.1/8; 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," 0.7/4; "Late Show," 0.8/4; "Nightline," 1.2/5; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.5/3 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" (1.3/4). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.4/3 in 18-49) tied "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 0.2/2 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 (12/8/11):

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Due to local NFL preemptions, Fast Nationals for FOX and CBS are approximate on the night.]

CBS (13.29 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.3, #1) claimed top honors on Thursday with the fall finale of "The Big Bang Theory" (14.42 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.7, #1) followed by new episodes of "Rules of Engagement" (10.96 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 3.2, #2), "Person of Interest" (13.43 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.0, #T3) and "The Mentalist" (13.75 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.0, #T3).

FOX (9.47 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.8, #2) then took home the silver with new episodes of "The X Factor" (9.94 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 3.0, #T3) and "Bones" (9.01 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.7, #7).

Next up was NBC (4.23 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.9, #3) with its mix of "Community" (3.62 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.5, #13), "Parks & Recreation" (3.66 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.7, #11), "The Office" (5.80 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.9, #6), "Whitney" (4.14 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.9, #T8) and a special "Grimm" (4.10 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.6, #12).

Meanwhile, ABC (5.97 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.7, #4) didn't get much spark from its specials "Winter Wipeout" (6.63 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.9, #T8), "America's Funniest Home Videos: Christmas Spectacular" (6.49 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.9, #T8) and "The Great American Auction" (4.78 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T14).

And finally, repeats of "The Vampire Diaries" (1.25 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T14) and "The Secret Circle" (0.87 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.3, #16) on The CW (1.06 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.4, #5) closed out the evening. In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Diaries" posted a 0.6 rating while "Circle" delivered a 0.4 rating.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+20.00% - The Mentalist (vs. 11/17/11)
+15.38% - Person of Interest (vs. 11/17/11)
0.00% - The Office
0.00% - Whitney
-3.23% - The X Factor
-3.57% - Bones
-5.56% - Parks & Recreation
-9.62% - The Big Bang Theory (vs. 11/17/11)
-11.11% - Rules of Engagement (vs. 11/17/11)
-11.76% - Community

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+42.11% - Bones (vs. Fringe)
+30.43% - The X Factor (vs. Bones)
+25.00% - The Mentalist
+23.68% - The Big Bang Theory
+18.52% - Rules of Engagement (vs. Bleep My Dad Says)
0.00% - Person of Interest (vs. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation)
-2.56% - Winter Wipeout (vs. Shrek the Halls/Disney Prep & Landing)
-11.11% - Grimm (vs. The Apprentice)
-22.73% - Parks & Recreation (vs. 30 Rock)
-23.68% - The Office
-25.00% - Community
-34.48% - America's Funniest Home Videos: Christmas Spectacular (vs. Barbara Walters Special: Oprah, The Next Chapter)
-50.00% - Whitney (vs. The Office)
-56.25% - The Great American Auction (vs. Barbara Walters Presents the 10 Most Fascinating People of 2010)

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," 3.1/8; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 3.0/7; 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," 0.9/4; "Nightline," 0.9/4; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.5/3.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.4/5 in metered-market households) tied CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.4/5). 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 0.3/2 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

Source: Nielsen Media Research





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