nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for thursday, october 27, 2011)

Here are the highlights of the 15 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night:

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Due to the nature of live sports, Fast Nationals for FOX are unreliable and should not be used.]

FOX (19.72 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 5.8, #1) dominated the competition on Thursday with its coverage of the "World Series, Game 6" (19.72 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 5.8, #1).

CBS (12.09 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.0, #2) then had to settle for second place with its mix of "The Big Bang Theory" (14.26 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 4.5, #2), "Rules of Engagement" (10.77 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 3.4, #4), "Person of Interest" (11.53 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.6, #6) and "The Mentalist" (12.24 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.5, #7).

Next up was ABC (7.93 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.8, #3) with its annual telecast of "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" (7.37 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.3, #9) followed by new episodes of "Grey's Anatomy" (9.81 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 3.7, #3) and "Private Practice" (6.59 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.4, #8).

Meanwhile, NBC (4.21 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.7, #4) was out of the hunt with new episodes of "Community" (3.46 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T12), "Parks & Recreation" (3.90 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.8, #11), "The Office" (5.45 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.8, #5), "Whitney" (4.29 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 2.1, #10) and, with a series low, "Prime Suspect" (4.60 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.2, #14). "Community" and "Parks & Recreation" tied their previous demo lows while "The Office" posted its lowest Thursday telecast ever.

And finally, new episodes of "The Vampire Diaries" (3.15 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T12) and "The Secret Circle" (2.33 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.0, #15) on The CW (2.74 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.2, #5) rounded out the night. In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Diaries" posted a 2.0 rating while "Circle" delivered a 1.3 rating.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+11.11% - The Secret Circle
+7.69% - The Vampire Diaries
+5.71% - Grey's Anatomy
+5.00% - Whitney (vs. 10/13/11)
0.00% - Private Practice
0.00% - The Mentalist
-3.70% - Person of Interest
-7.69% - Prime Suspect (vs. 10/13/11)
-8.11% - Rules of Engagement
-8.16% - The Big Bang Theory
-12.50% - The Office (vs. 10/13/11)
-14.29% - Parks & Recreation (vs. 10/13/11)
-17.65% - Community (vs. 10/13/11)

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+9.76% - The Big Bang Theory
+9.68% - Rules of Engagement (vs. Bleep My Dad Says)
0.00% - The Secret Circle (vs. Nikita)
-2.63% - Grey's Anatomy
-11.11% - Private Practice
-14.29% - Prime Suspect (vs. The Apprentice)
-17.65% - The Vampire Diaries
-21.21% - Person of Interest (vs. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation)
-21.88% - The Mentalist (vs. The Mentalist)
-22.22% - Whitney (vs. Outsourced)
-25.00% - Parks & Recreation (vs. Community (S))
-28.21% - The Office
-44.00% - Community (vs. Scared Shrekless)

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," 2.4/5; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.7/6; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 2.7/6; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.3/4.

In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 0.7/3; "Late Show," 0.7/3; "Nightline," 0.9/3; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.5/2.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.3/4 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" (0.5/3 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.4/2).

At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.9/4 in metered-market households with an encore and a 0.4/3 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 (10/28/10):

CBS (13.51 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.4, #T1) and FOX (11.71 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.4, #T1) split the adults 18-49 crown on Thursday as the latter offered up its coverage of the "World Series, Game 2" (11.71 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 3.4, #4).

The Eye then offered up fresh installments of "The Big Bang Theory" (12.80 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 4.1, #1), "Bleep My Dad Says" (10.82 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 3.1, #7), "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (14.12 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.3, #5) and "The Mentalist" (14.61 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.2, #6).

Next up was ABC (8.47 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.9, #3) with a rebroadcast of "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" (6.98 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 2.2, #12) followed by new episodes of "Grey's Anatomy" (10.67 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 3.8, #3) and "Private Practice" (7.77 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.7, #T8).

Meanwhile, NBC (5.91 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.4, #4) offered up the new special "Scared Shrekless" (8.19 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.5, #10) followed by new episodes of "Community" (5.69 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 2.4, #11), "The Office" (8.05 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 3.9, #2), "Outsourced" (5.92 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 2.7, #T8) and "The Apprentice" (3.81 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.4, #14).

And finally on The CW (3.04 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.3, #5), new episodes of "The Vampire Diaries" (3.49 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.7, #13) and "Nikita" (2.59 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.0, #15) rounded out the night.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49): Community (26.30%), Outsourced (17.40%), The Office (14.70%), The Mentalist (10.30%), The Apprentice (7.70%), The Vampire Diaries (6.30%), The Big Bang Theory (2.50%), Nikita (0.00%), Bleep My Dad Says (0.00%), CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (0.00%), Grey's Anatomy (-2.60%), Private Practice (-3.60%).

In late-night metered market ratings, ABC's "Nightline" (3.1/7) and CBS's "Letterman" (3.1/8) took top honors over NBC's "Leno" (2.9/7). Rounding out the night then were "Kimmel" (1.4/4) on ABC "Ferguson" (1.5/5) on CBS and "Fallon" (1.4/5) and "Daly" (0.8/4) on NBC.

Source: Nielsen Media Research