nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for sunday, march 11, 2012)

Here are the highlights of the 17 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night:

ABC (7.79 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.3, #1) claimed top honors on Sunday with its mix of "America's Funniest Home Videos" (6.49 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.3, #14), "Once Upon a Time" (9.12 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.8, #T1) - a series low, "Desperate Housewives" (8.29 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.5, #4) and week two of "GCB" (7.25 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.3, #T5).

CBS (10.08 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.1, #2) however was the most-watched network with new episodes of "60 Minutes" (10.26 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T12), "The Amazing Race 20" (9.71 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.8, #T1), "The Good Wife" (9.82 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.7, #11) - a series low - and "CSI: Miami" (10.54 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.1, #8).

Next up was FOX (4.26 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.0, #3) with an encore of "The Simpsons" (2.80 million viewers, #17; adults 18-49: 1.2, #15) followed by new episodes of "The Cleveland Show" (3.32 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T12), "The Simpsons" (4.96 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 2.3, #T5), the return of "Bob's Burgers" (4.03 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.9, #10) and fresh installments of "Family Guy" (5.82 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 2.8, #T1) and "American Dad" (4.64 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 2.2, #7).

And finally, NBC (6.60 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.5, #4) closed out the evening with its mix of "Dateline NBC" (4.71 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.9, #17), the return of "Harry's Law" (8.87 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.1, #16) - tied for its series low - and "The Celebrity Apprentice" (6.41 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 2.0, #9).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+5.00% - CSI: Miami
+4.76% - American Dad
+4.55% - GCB
0.00% - The Amazing Race 20
0.00% - Family Guy
0.00% - Desperate Housewives
0.00% - 60 Minutes
0.00% - The Cleveland Show
0.00% - Harry's Law (vs. 1/18/12)
-5.56% - The Good Wife
-8.00% - The Simpsons
-10.00% - Dateline NBC
-17.65% - Once Upon a Time
-28.57% - The Celebrity Apprentice
-40.91% - America's Funniest Home Videos

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+187.50% - GCB (vs. Brothers & Sisters (Repeat))
+108.33% - Desperate Housewives
+33.33% - The Cleveland Show (vs. American Dad (Repeat))
+12.00% - Family Guy (vs. Family Guy (Repeat))
+7.69% - The Amazing Race 20
+3.70% - Once Upon a Time (vs. Secret Millionaire)
-5.00% - Bob's Burgers
-5.88% - 60 Minutes
-8.00% - The Simpsons
-12.00% - American Dad (vs. The Cleveland Show)
-18.18% - Dateline NBC
-21.43% - Harry's Law (vs. America's Next Great Restaurant)
-22.22% - CSI: Miami
-23.53% - America's Funniest Home Videos
-25.93% - The Celebrity Apprentice
-41.38% - The Good Wife (vs. Undercover Boss)

Here are the highlights of the 17 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (3/13/11):

CBS (10.79 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.5, #1) pulled off a rare adults 18-49 win on Sunday with its mix of "60 Minutes" (10.26 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T10), "The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business" (9.42 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.6, #5), "Undercover Boss" (11.72 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.9, #1) and "CSI: Miami" (11.77 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.7, #T2).

NBC (6.43 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.0, #2) then took home the silver with a new "Dateline NBC" (5.55 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.1, #15) followed by week two of "America's Next Great Restaurant" (4.18 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.4, #12) and "The Celebrity Apprentice" (7.99 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.7, #T2).

Next up was FOX (4.03 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.9, #3) with repeats of "The Simpsons" (2.27 million viewers, #17; adults 18-49: 0.9, #16) and "American Dad" (2.64 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T13) followed by new episodes of "The Simpsons" (5.45 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.5, #T6) and "Bob's Burgers" (4.06 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 2.0, #9), a repeat of "Family Guy" (4.99 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 2.5, #T6) and a new "The Cleveland Show" (4.75 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 2.5, #T6).

And finally, new episodes of "America's Funniest Home Videos" (7.40 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T10) and "Secret Millionaire" (11.27 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.7, #T2) led into repeats of "Desperate Housewives" (4.92 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T13) and "Brothers & Sisters" (3.19 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.8, #17) on ABC (6.70 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.6, #4).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49): CSI: Miami (12.50%), The Cleveland Show (8.70%), Undercover Boss (7.40%), 60 Minutes (0.00%), The Celebrity Apprentice (0.00%), The Amazing Race 17 (-3.70%), America's Funniest Home Videos (-5.60%), The Simpsons (-10.70%), America's Next Great Restaurant (-12.50%), Bob's Burgers (-13.00%), Secret Millionaire (-18.20%), Dateline NBC (-21.40%).

Source: Nielsen Media Research