nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for friday, october 28, 2011)

Here are the highlights of the 12 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night:

FOX (23.25 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 6.8, #1), as expected, ran away with the night thanks to its coverage of the "World Series, Game 7" (23.25 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 6.8, #1).

NBC (4.87 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.5, #2) then claimed a distant second place with the return of "Chuck" (3.39 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T8) followed by the premiere of "Grimm" (6.49 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.1, #2) and a new "Dateline NBC" (4.74 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.3, #4). "Grimm's" launch posted the largest non-sports 18-49 audience on the night by any network since last year's "New Year's Rockin' Eve" on ABC (2.8 rating).

Next up was CBS (6.89 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T3) with its last-minute lineup of "A Gifted Man" (5.77 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.9, #10), "CSI: Miami" (6.97 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T6) and "CSI: NY" (7.94 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.4, #3) repeats.

Meanwhile, ABC (4.50 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T3) offered up week two of its relocated "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" (4.10 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T8), a second "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" (4.25 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T6) and a new "20/20" (5.15 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.2, #5).

And finally, new episodes of "Nikita" (1.83 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.6, #12) and "Supernatural" (1.70 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.7, #11) on The CW (1.77 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.7, #5) rounded out the night.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+30.00% - Dateline NBC
0.00% - Nikita
0.00% - Supernatural
-9.09% - Extreme Makeover: Home Edition - 8:00
-35.29% - Extreme Makeover: Home Edition - 9:00
-42.86% - 20/20

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+66.67% - Chuck (vs. School Pride)
+61.54% - Grimm (vs. Dateline NBC)
0.00% - Dateline NBC
-25.00% - 20/20
-35.29% - Extreme Makeover: Home Edition - 9:00 (vs. Primetime: What Would You Do?)
-36.36% - Supernatural
-37.50% - Extreme Makeover: Home Edition - 8:00 (vs. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown)
-50.00% - Nikita (vs. Smallville)

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," 2.9/7; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.4/6; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 2.9/6; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.3/4 with an encore.

In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 1.1/4; "Late Show," 0.6/2; "Nightline," 1.0/4; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.5/2 with an encore.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.7/5 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" (0.8/5 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.4/2).

At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 1.0/4 in metered-market households with an encore and a 0.5/3 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

[NOTE: Today's numbers are courtesy of TVMediaInsights.com due to delays from our usual sources.]

Here are the highlights of the 12 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (10/29/10):

CBS (9.61 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.7, #1) continued its win streak on Friday thanks to new episodes of "Medium" (6.86 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.4, #6), "CSI: NY" (10.42 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.8, #T1) and "Blue Bloods" (11.54 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.8, #T1).

ABC (5.41 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.6, #2) then claimed the silver with a rebroadcast of "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" (5.45 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T4) followed by new episodes of "Primetime: What Would You Do?" (5.39 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.7, #3) and "20/20" (5.37 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T4).

Next up was The CW (2.70 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.2, #3) with new episodes of "Smallville" (2.92 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.2, #8) and "Supernatural" (2.48 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.1, #9).

Meanwhile, NBC (4.04 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.1, #4) served up new episodes of "School Pride" (2.35 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.6, #12) and "Dateline NBC" (4.88 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.3, #7).

And finally, a repeat of "House" (2.76 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.8, #10) led into a new "The Good Guys" (2.47 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.7, #11) on FOX (2.60 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.8, #5).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49): Primetime: What Would You Do? (30.80%), Smallville (20.00%), Dateline NBC (18.20%), The Good Guys (16.70%), 20/20 (6.70%), Blue Bloods (0.00%), Medium (0.00%), Supernatural (0.00%), CSI: NY (-5.30%), School Pride (-14.30%).

In late-night metered market ratings, CBS's "Letterman" (3.2/8) took top honors over ABC's "Nightline" (2.9/7) and NBC's "Leno" (2.9/7). Rounding out the night then were "Kimmel" (1.5/4) on ABC "Ferguson" (1.6/5) on CBS and "Fallon" (1.5/5) and "Daly" (1.0/4) on NBC.

Source: Nielsen Media Research