nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for tuesday, april 24, 2012)

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

FOX (5.54 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.4, #1) claimed the top spot in a tight race on Tuesday thanks to new episodes of "Glee" (6.85 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.7, #2) and "New Girl" (5.20 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 2.6, #3) followed by a repeat of "New Girl" (3.27 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T10).

NBC (6.72 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.3, #2) then had to settle for second place with original installments of "The Biggest Loser 13" (6.76 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.2, #T5), "The Voice" (8.75 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 3.2, #1) - matching its series low - and "Fashion Star" (4.64 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.6, #9).

Next up was ABC (9.28 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.0, #3) with a repeat of "Last Man Standing" (5.66 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.3, #13) followed by new episodes of "Cougar Town" (4.99 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T10), "Dancing With the Stars" (14.16 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.4, #4) and "Private Practice" (8.36 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.2, #T5).

Meanwhile, CBS (9.87 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.7, #4) offered up repeats of "NCIS" (12.32 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.0, #7), "NCIS: Los Angeles" (9.60 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.7, #8) and "Unforgettable" (7.69 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T10).

And finally, the return of "90210" (1.17 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.6, #14) led into the premiere of "The L.A. Complex" (0.65 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.3, #15) on The CW (0.91 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.5, #4). In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "90210" delivered a 0.9 rating while "Complex" posted a 0.5 rating.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+29.41% - Private Practice
+12.50% - Glee
+7.14% - Cougar Town
+6.67% - Fashion Star
0.00% - Dancing With the Stars
0.00% - The Biggest Loser 13
-3.03% - The Voice
-3.70% - New Girl
-14.29% - 90210 (vs. 3/27/12)

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
-4.35% - Private Practice (vs. Body of Proof)
-14.29% - 90210 (vs. One Tree Hill)
-18.52% - The Biggest Loser 13
-20.59% - Glee
-23.53% - New Girl (vs. Glee)
-25.00% - The L.A. Complex (vs. Hellcats)
-31.43% - Dancing With the Stars
-37.25% - The Voice
-37.50% - Cougar Town (vs. Dancing With the Stars: Road to the Finals)
-68.63% - Fashion Star (vs. The Voice)

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," 2.6/7; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.4/6; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 3.4/8; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.9/6.

In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 0.8/4; "Late Show," 0.6/3; "Nightline," 1.0/5; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.6/3.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.8/6 in metered-market households) beat CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.1/4 with an encore). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.7/5 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.4/2 with an encore).

"Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," featuring a guest appearance by President Barack Obama, scored the show's top metered-market household rating for a Tuesday telecast in two years (since March 2, 2010) and matched "Late Night's" highest adult 18-49 rating in the Local People Meters since June 14, 2011. Versus "Late Night's" Tuesday season averages, last night's telecast is up 29 percent in metered-market households (with a 1.8 rating vs. a 1.4) and up 40 percent in the Local People Meters (0.7 in 18-49 vs. 0.5).

At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 1.1/5 in metered-market households and a 0.5/4 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

Here are the highlights of the 12 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (4/26/11):

NBC (10.34 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 4.3, #1) pulled off a rare Tuesday win thanks to a new "The Biggest Loser" (7.50 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.7, #4) and the two-hour launch of "The Voice" (11.77 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 5.1, #1). Overall, "The Voice" delivered the highest 18-49 rating for a series premiere on ABC, CBS, NBC or FOX since "Undercover Boss" debuted following the Super Bowl on February 7, 2010.

FOX (7.55 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 3.0, #2) then took home the silver with an expanded 90-minute episode of "Glee" (8.54 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 3.4, #3) followed by a new "Raising Hope" (4.60 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.9, #9).

Next up was ABC (14.30 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.7, #3) with its "Dancing With the Stars: Road to the Finals" (12.85 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.4, #5) recap alongside new episodes of "Dancing With the Stars" (18.00 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.5, #2) and "Body of Proof" (12.06 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.3, #6).

Meanwhile, CBS (9.79 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.9, #4) offered up its all-repeat lineup of "NCIS" (11.14 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.0, #T7), "NCIS: Los Angeles" (10.22 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.0, #T7) and "The Mentalist" (8.01 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.6, #10).

And finally, fresh installments of "One Tree Hill" (1.54 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.7, #11) and "Hellcats" (1.06 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.4, #12) on The CW (1.30 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.6, #5) rounded out the night.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49): Dancing With the Stars (20.70%), The Biggest Loser (17.40%), One Tree Hill (0.00%), Body of Proof (-4.20%), Glee (-8.10%), Raising Hope (-13.60%), Hellcats (-20.00%).

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," 3.4/8; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.6/6; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 3.8/9; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.9/6.

In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: �The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,� 1.2/5; "Late Show," 0.6/3; "Nightline," 1.0/4; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.6/3.

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 with an encore). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.7/4 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.2/1 with an encore).

At 1:35 a.m., Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 1.1/5 with an encore in metered-market households and a 0.5/4 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

Source: Nielsen Media Research