nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for wednesday, february 1, 2012)

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

FOX (13.06 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.4, #1) overshadowed its mostly repeat competition on Wednesday thanks to new episodes of "American Idol" (18.19 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 5.9, #1) and "Mobbed" (7.94 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.9, #2).

The silver then went to CBS (8.10 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.9, #2) with its annual "Super Bowl's Greatest Commercials 2012" (8.66 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.1, #T4) alongside repeats of "Criminal Minds" (8.23 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.1, #T4) and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (7.40 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.5, #10).

Next up was NBC (4.96 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T3) with new episodes of "Whitney" (4.44 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T7) and "Are You There, Chelsea?" (4.08 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T7) plus repeats of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (4.79 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.1, #13) and another "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (5.82 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.6, #9).

Meanwhile, ABC (4.77 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T3) offered up its all-repeat lineup of "The Middle" (4.90 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T11), "Suburgatory" (4.21 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T11), "Modern Family" (7.66 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.7, #3), "Happy Endings" (5.25 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.9, #6) and "Revenge" (3.29 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.9, #14).

And finally, a new "One Tree Hill" (1.47 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.7, #15) led into the Wednesday premiere of "Remodeled" (0.75 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.3, #16) on The CW (1.11 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.5, #5). In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Hill" delivered a 1.3 rating while "Remodeled" posted a 0.4 rating.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+123.08% - Mobbed (vs. 1/11/12)
+21.43% - Whitney
+21.43% - Are You There, Chelsea?
0.00% - One Tree Hill
-7.81% - American Idol
-25.00% - Remodeled (vs. 1/24/12)

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+110.00% - Super Bowl's Greatest Commercials 2012 (vs. Live to Dance)
+75.00% - One Tree Hill (vs. Smallville (Repeat))
+11.54% - Mobbed (vs. Human Target)
0.00% - Whitney (vs. Minute to Win It)
0.00% - Are You There, Chelsea? (vs. Minute to Win It)
-25.00% - Remodeled (vs. Supernatural (Repeat))
-33.71% - American Idol

In late-night metered market ratings (via NBC's press release):

At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.9/4 with an encore in metered-market households and a 0.4/3 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters

In Nielsen's 56 metered markets, household results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 3.0/8; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.7/7; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 2.9/7; 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," 0.7/3; "Nightline," 0.8/4; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.4/2.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.7/6 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" (0.7/5 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.3/2).

At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 1.0/4 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 (2/2/11):

FOX (17.14 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 5.7, #1) was once again the network to beat on Wednesday with a new "American Idol" (24.93 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 8.9, #1) followed by the penultimate week of "Human Target" (9.34 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.6, #6).

Second place then went to NBC (8.06 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.6, #2) with a new "Minute to Win It" (5.87 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T10), a second new "Minute to Win It" (9.53 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 3.0, #3) - a series high, and a fresh "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (8.80 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.9, #4).

Next up was ABC (6.65 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.2, #3) with repeats of "The Middle" (6.91 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T10), another "The Middle" (6.54 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.8, #T8) and "Modern Family" (9.20 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 3.5, #2) followed by the winter finale of "Cougar Town" (6.60 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.7, #5) and a new "Off the Map" (5.31 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.8, #T8).

Meanwhile, CBS (8.58 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.6, #4) offered up its penultimate week of "Live to Dance" (4.80 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.0, #13) followed by a repeat of "Criminal Minds" (9.72 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.2, #7) and a new "Blue Bloods" (11.21 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.6, #12).

And finally, repeats of "Smallville" (1.18 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T14) and "Supernatural" (1.02 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T14) on The CW (1.10 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.4, #5) rounded out the evening.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49): Cougar Town (28.60%), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (26.10% vs. 1/19/11), Human Target (23.80% vs. 1/31/11), Minute to Win It (21.40%), Off the Map (0.00%), American Idol (-3.30%), Live to Dance (-9.10%), Blue Bloods (-20.00%).

In late-night metered market ratings (via NBC's press release):

In Nielsen's 56 metered markets (with four markets excluded today), household results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 3.1/8; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.8/7; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 3.3/8; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.6/5.

In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 1.0/5; "Late Show," 0.7/3; "Nightline," 1.1/5; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.6/3.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.5/5 in metered-market households) tied CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.5/5). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.7/4 in 18-49) tied "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 and a 0.4/3 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

Source: Nielsen Media Research