nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for thursday, september 29, 2011)

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

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

Here are the highlights of the 15 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (9/30/10):

CBS (13.19 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.3, #1) remained in front on Thursday thanks to week two of new episodes of "The Big Bang Theory" (12.97 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 4.3, #2), "Bleep My Dad Says" (10.44 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 3.2, #4), "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (13.32 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.0, #T5) and "The Mentalist" (14.55 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.0, #T5).

Second place once again went to ABC (8.07 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.8, #2) with fresh installments of "My Generation" (3.94 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.1, #15), "Grey's Anatomy" (12.23 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 4.4, #1) and "Private Practice" (8.03 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.9, #7).

Next up was NBC (5.11 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.3, #3) with new episodes of "Community" (4.51 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.9, #T11), "30 Rock" (5.69 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 2.6, #9), "The Office" (7.30 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 3.7, #3), "Outsourced" (5.80 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.8, #8) and "The Apprentice" (3.69 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.4, #14).

Meanwhile, FOX (7.50 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.2, #4) offered up its combination of "Bones" (9.56 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.5, #10) and "Fringe" (5.44 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.9, #T11).

And finally, new episodes of "The Vampire Diaries" (3.19 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.5, #13) and "Nikita" (2.74 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 1.0, #16) on The CW (2.96 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.3, #5) rounded out the evening.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49): 30 Rock (0.00%), The Apprentice (0.00%), The Vampire Diaries (-6.30%), Bones (-7.40%), The Mentalist (-9.10%), Nikita (-9.10%), Fringe (-9.50%), The Big Bang Theory (-10.40%), CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (-11.80%), Private Practice (-12.10%), Community (-13.60%), The Office (-14.00%), Grey's Anatomy (-17.00%), Bleep My Dad Says (-17.90%), Outsourced (-20.00%), My Generation (-31.30%).

In late-night metered market ratings, ABC's "Nightline" (3.2/8) took top honors over NBC's "Leno" (2.6/7) and CBS's "Letterman" (3.1/8). Rounding out the night then were "Kimmel" (1.5/5) on ABC "Ferguson" (1.6/6) on CBS and "Fallon" (1.3/4) and "Daly" (0.7/3) on NBC.

Source: Nielsen Media Research