nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for sunday, may 6, 2012)

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

ABC (7.64 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.4, #1) took home top demo honors on Sunday thanks to new episodes of "America's Funniest Home Videos" (6.62 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.0, #7), "Once Upon a Time" (8.94 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 3.0, #1), "Desperate Housewives" (9.31 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.8, #2) and the season finale of "GCB" (5.67 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.8, #T9).

A silver medal then went to CBS (9.29 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.0, #2) with a new "60 Minutes" (11.44 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.6, #11) followed by the two-hour season finale of "The Amazing Race 20" (9.39 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.6, #4) as well as a new "NYC 22" (6.94 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.3, #13).

Next up was FOX (4.09 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.9, #3) with an encore of "The Simpsons" (2.66 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 1.1, #14) alongside originals of "The Cleveland Show" (3.12 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.4, #12), "The Simpsons" (4.75 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 2.1, #6), "Bob's Burgers" (3.69 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.8, #T9), "Family Guy" (5.55 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 2.7, #3) and "American Dad" (4.76 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 2.3, #5).

And finally, new episodes of "Dateline NBC" (3.26 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T15), "Harry's Law" (7.52 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T15) - its series low - and "The Celebrity Apprentice" (6.16 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.9, #8) on NBC (5.78 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.3, #4) closed out the evening.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+42.86% - America's Funniest Home Videos
+33.33% - 60 Minutes
+18.18% - The Amazing Race 20
+15.00% - American Dad (vs. 4/1/12)
+12.00% - Desperate Housewives
+8.33% - NYC 22
+3.45% - Once Upon a Time
0.00% - The Celebrity Apprentice
-3.57% - Family Guy
-5.26% - GCB
-5.26% - Bob's Burgers
-6.67% - The Cleveland Show
-8.70% - The Simpsons
-12.50% - Dateline NBC
-22.22% - Harry's Law

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+42.86% - Once Upon a Time (vs. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition)
+17.65% - America's Funniest Home Videos
+4.55% - American Dad (vs. The Cleveland Show)
+4.00% - The Amazing Race 20
0.00% - Desperate Housewives
-6.67% - The Cleveland Show (vs. American Dad)
-10.00% - GCB (vs. Brothers & Sisters)
-10.00% - Bob's Burgers
-12.50% - Dateline NBC
-15.63% - Family Guy
-16.00% - The Simpsons
-20.83% - The Celebrity Apprentice
-30.43% - 60 Minutes
-35.00% - NYC 22 (vs. CSI: Miami)
-70.83% - Harry's Law (vs. The Celebrity Apprentice)

Here are the highlights of the 16 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (5/8/11):

FOX (18.69 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 5.8, #1) was the network to beat on Wednesday with new episodes of "American Idol" (22.37 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 6.9, #1) and the departing "Breaking In" (7.65 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.4, #T5).

CBS (10.87 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.8, #2) then claimed the distant silver with fresh installments of "Survivor: Redemption Island" (10.44 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.0, #4), "Criminal Minds" (13.08 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.3, #3) and "Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior" (9.08 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.1, #T8).

Next up was ABC (6.18 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.3, #3) and its mix of "The Middle" (7.16 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.1, #T8), the season finale of "Better With You" (5.96 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.9, #10), "Modern Family" (10.11 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 4.2, #2), "Cougar Town" (6.14 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.4, #T5), "Happy Endings" (4.25 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.7, #11) and another "Happy Endings" (3.47 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.4, #12).

Meanwhile, NBC (4.85 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.4, #4) offered up a new "Minute to Win It" (3.05 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.9, #15), a repeat of "Minute to Win It" (3.54 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.1, #13) and a new "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (7.96 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.4, #T5).

And finally, an encore of last week's "America's Next Top Model" (1.23 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.5, #16) led into a new "America's Next Top Model" (1.97 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.0, #14) on The CW (1.60 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.7, #5).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49): Better With You (18.80%), America's Next Top Model (11.10%), Modern Family (10.50%), Cougar Town (9.10%), American Idol (7.80%), The Middle (5.00%), Criminal Minds (3.10%), Survivor: Redemption Island (0.00%), Happy Endings (10:00) (0.00%), Happy Endings (10:30) (0.00%), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (-4.00%), Breaking In (-4.00%), Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior (-4.50%), Minute to Win It (-10.00%).

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," 3.1/8; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 3.0/8; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 2.8/7; 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," 1.1/5; "Late Show," 0.8/4; "Nightline," 0.9/4; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.6/3.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.5/5 in metered-market households) beat CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.4/5). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.7/4 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.4/3).

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