nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for thursday, may 2, 2013)

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

CBS (12.017 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.7, #1) was the network to beat on Thursday with its mix of "The Big Bang Theory" (15.691 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.6, #1), "Two and a Half Men" (11.899 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.1, #2), "Person of Interest" (12.756 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.4, #6) and "Elementary" (9.500 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.0, #7).

FOX (8.102 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.2, #T2) and ABC (6.752 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.2, #T2) then split the silver as the former served up new episodes of "American Idol" (10.976 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.5, #5) and "Glee" (5.228 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.8, #9).

As for ABC, the Alphabet offered up the season finale of "Wife Swap" (3.623 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.1, #13) followed by new episodes of "Grey's Anatomy" (8.498 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.9, #3) and "Scandal" (8.134 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.6, #4).

Meanwhile, NBC (2.940 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.4, #4) offered up new episodes of "Community" (2.799 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.2, #12), "The Office" (3.344 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.7, #10), a second "The Office" (3.588 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.9, #8), the season finale of "Parks & Recreation" (2.892 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.5, #11) and a new "Hannibal" (2.508 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.0, #14).

And finally, fresh installments of "The Vampire Diaries" (2.130 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.9, #15) and "Beauty and the Beast" (1.255 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.5, #16) on The CW (1.692 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.7, #5) closed out the evening. In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Diaries" delivered a 1.5 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% - Community
+15.38% - Parks & Recreation
+11.76% - The Office
+10.71% - Two and a Half Men
+9.52% - The Big Bang Theory
+7.41% - Grey's Anatomy
0.00% - Person of Interest
0.00% - Elementary
0.00% - Glee
0.00% - Wife Swap
0.00% - Hannibal
0.00% - The Vampire Diaries
0.00% - Beauty and the Beast
-7.14% - Scandal
-7.41% - American Idol

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+42.86% - Hannibal (vs. Awake)
+23.81% - Scandal
+21.43% - The Office - 8:30 (vs. 30 Rock)
+14.81% - Two and a Half Men (vs. Rules of Engagement)
0.00% - The Big Bang Theory
0.00% - Wife Swap (vs. Missing)
-4.00% - Person of Interest
-9.38% - Grey's Anatomy
-11.76% - Parks & Recreation
-14.29% - Community
-14.29% - Glee (vs. Touch)
-16.67% - Elementary (vs. The Mentalist)
-16.67% - Beauty and the Beast (vs. The Secret Circle)
-17.39% - The Office - 9:00
-18.18% - The Vampire Diaries
-35.90% - American Idol

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," 2.4/6; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.5/7; and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 2.4/6.

* In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 Wednesday results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 0.8/4; "Late Show," 0.6/3; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.9/4.

* From 12:35-1:05 a.m. ET Wednesday night, ABC's "Nightline" averaged a 1.4/5 in metered-market households and a 0.5/3 in 18-49 in the Local People Meters.

* From 12:35-1:35 a.m. ET, "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.2/4 in metered-market households) tied CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.2/4). 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 and a 0.3/3 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 (5/3/12):

FOX (10.95 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.0, #1) held onto the demo crown on Thursday thanks to new episodes of "American Idol" (15.05 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.9, #2) and "Touch" (6.84 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.1, #T8).

CBS (12.32 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.8, #2) then was a competitive second place - plus number one in total viewers - with its lineup of "The Big Bang Theory" (13.63 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 4.6, #1), "Rules of Engagement" (9.01 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.7, #4), "Person of Interest" (12.96 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.5, #5) and "The Mentalist" (12.67 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.4, #6).

Next up was ABC (7.35 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.1, #3) with originals from "Missing" (6.28 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T13) - its series low, "Grey's Anatomy" (9.00 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 3.2, #3) and "Scandal" (6.78 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.1, #T8).

Meanwhile, NBC (3.07 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.4, #4) offered up its combination of "Community" (3.28 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T11), "30 Rock" (3.06 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T11), "The Office" (4.44 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 2.3, #7), "Parks & Recreation" (3.35 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.7, #10) and "Awake" (2.14 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.7, #15) - its lowest rating to date.

And finally, the penultimate weeks of "The Vampire Diaries" (2.44 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T13) and "The Secret Circle" (1.23 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.6, #16) on The CW (1.83 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.8, #5) closed out the evening. In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Diaries" posted a 1.8 rating while "Circle" delivered a 0.8 rating.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+20.00% - The Secret Circle
+15.00% - The Big Bang Theory
+14.29% - The Mentalist
+10.53% - Touch
+10.00% - The Vampire Diaries
9.52% - The Office
8.00% - Rules of Engagement
6.25% - Parks & Recreation
4.17% - Person of Interest
0.00% - American Idol
0.00% - Grey's Anatomy
0.00% - Scandal
0.00% - Community
-12.50% - 30 Rock
-12.50% - Awake
-15.38% - Missing

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+48.39% - The Big Bang Theory
+27.27% - 30 Rock (vs. The Office (Repeat))
+22.73% - Rules of Engagement
+13.64% - Person of Interest (vs. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation)
0.00% - Community
-7.69% - The Mentalist
-8.33% - The Vampire Diaries
-8.57% - Grey's Anatomy
-8.70% - Scandal (vs. Private Practice)
-21.43% - Missing (vs. Spring Wipeout)
-25.00% - The Secret Circle (vs. Nikita)
-34.29% - The Office
-34.62% - Parks & Recreation
-36.07% - American Idol
-36.36% - Touch (vs. Bones)
-61.11% - Awake (vs. 30 Rock/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," 2.5/6; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.5/6; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 3.2/8; 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," 0.7/3; "Late Show," 0.5/3; "Nightline," 1.0/4; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.5/3.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.3/4 in metered-market households) tied CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.3/4). 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 0.9/4 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