nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for thursday, october 25, 2012)

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

CBS (12.76 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.1, #1) held onto the top spot on Thursday thanks to new episodes of "The Big Bang Theory" (15.42 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.8, #1), "Two and a Half Men" (12.90 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.7, #2), "Person of Interest" (13.97 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.0, #3) and "Elementary" (10.16 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.2, #6).

FOX (10.23 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.9, #2) then had to settle for second place despite its coverage of the "World Series, Game 2" (10.23 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.9, #T4).

Next up was ABC (7.07 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.1, #3) with originals from "Last Resort" (6.40 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T11), "Grey's Anatomy" (8.49 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.9, #T4) and "Scandal" (6.31 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.0, #8).

Meanwhile, NBC (4.14 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.6, #4) offered up new episodes of "30 Rock" (3.61 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T11), "Up All Night" (3.93 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.6, #10), "The Office" (4.68 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.1, #7), "Parks & Recreation" (4.06 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.9, #9) and "Rock Center With Brian Williams" (4.27 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T11).

And finally, new episodes of "The Vampire Diaries" (2.74 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.2, #14) and "Beauty and the Beast" (1.88 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.7, #15) closed out the night on The CW (2.31 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.9, #5). In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Diaries" delivered a 1.7 rating at 8:00/7:00c and "Beast" a 0.8 rating at 9:00/8:00c.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
44.44% - Rock Center With Brian Williams
18.75% - Parks & Recreation
14.29% - Up All Night
7.14% - Person of Interest
5.00% - The Office
2.13% - The Big Bang Theory
0.00% - Scandal
0.00% - 30 Rock
0.00% - The Vampire Diaries
0.00% - Beauty and the Beast
-4.35% - Elementary
-7.50% - Two and a Half Men
-12.12% - Grey's Anatomy
-23.53% - Last Resort

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+15.38% - Person of Interest
+8.82% - Two and a Half Men (vs. Rules of Engagement)
+8.33% - Rock Center With Brian Williams (vs. Prime Suspect)
+6.67% - The Big Bang Theory
-7.14% - 30 Rock (vs. Community)
-9.52% - Parks & Recreation (vs. Whitney)
-11.11% - Up All Night (vs. Parks & Recreation)
-12.00% - Elementary (vs. The Mentalist)
-14.29% - The Vampire Diaries
-16.67% - Scandal (vs. Private Practice)
-21.62% - Grey's Anatomy
-25.00% - The Office
-30.00% - Beauty and the Beast (vs. The Secret Circle)
-43.48% - Last Resort (vs. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown)

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," 2.8/7; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 3.2/8; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 3.3/8; 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," 1.0/5; "Late Show," 0.7/3; "Nightline," 1.0/5; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.7/4.

* At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.3/5 in metered-market households) trailed CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.6/6). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.4/3 in 18-49) trailed "Late Late Show" (0.5/3).

* At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.8/3 in metered-market households with an encore and a 0.3/2 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 (10/27/11):

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Due to the nature of live sports, Fast Nationals for FOX are unreliable and should not be used.]

FOX (19.72 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 5.8, #1) dominated the competition on Thursday with its coverage of the "World Series, Game 6" (19.72 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 5.8, #1).

CBS (12.09 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.0, #2) then had to settle for second place with its mix of "The Big Bang Theory" (14.26 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 4.5, #2), "Rules of Engagement" (10.77 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 3.4, #4), "Person of Interest" (11.53 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.6, #6) and "The Mentalist" (12.24 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.5, #7).

Next up was ABC (7.93 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.8, #3) with its annual telecast of "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" (7.37 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.3, #9) followed by new episodes of "Grey's Anatomy" (9.81 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 3.7, #3) and "Private Practice" (6.59 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.4, #8).

Meanwhile, NBC (4.21 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.7, #4) was out of the hunt with new episodes of "Community" (3.46 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T12), "Parks & Recreation" (3.90 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.8, #11), "The Office" (5.45 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.8, #5), "Whitney" (4.29 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 2.1, #10) and, with a series low, "Prime Suspect" (4.60 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.2, #14). "Community" and "Parks & Recreation" tied their previous demo lows while "The Office" posted its lowest Thursday telecast ever.

And finally, new episodes of "The Vampire Diaries" (3.15 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T12) and "The Secret Circle" (2.33 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.0, #15) on The CW (2.74 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.2, #5) rounded out the night. In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Diaries" posted a 2.0 rating while "Circle" delivered a 1.3 rating.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+11.11% - The Secret Circle
+7.69% - The Vampire Diaries
+5.71% - Grey's Anatomy
+5.00% - Whitney (vs. 10/13/11)
0.00% - Private Practice
0.00% - The Mentalist
-3.70% - Person of Interest
-7.69% - Prime Suspect (vs. 10/13/11)
-8.11% - Rules of Engagement
-8.16% - The Big Bang Theory
-12.50% - The Office (vs. 10/13/11)
-14.29% - Parks & Recreation (vs. 10/13/11)
-17.65% - Community (vs. 10/13/11)

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+9.76% - The Big Bang Theory
+9.68% - Rules of Engagement (vs. Bleep My Dad Says)
0.00% - The Secret Circle (vs. Nikita)
-2.63% - Grey's Anatomy
-11.11% - Private Practice
-14.29% - Prime Suspect (vs. The Apprentice)
-17.65% - The Vampire Diaries
-21.21% - Person of Interest (vs. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation)
-21.88% - The Mentalist (vs. The Mentalist)
-22.22% - Whitney (vs. Outsourced)
-25.00% - Parks & Recreation (vs. Community (S))
-28.21% - The Office
-44.00% - Community (vs. Scared Shrekless)

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," 2.4/5; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.7/6; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 2.7/6; 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," 0.7/3; "Late Show," 0.7/3; "Nightline," 0.9/3; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.5/2.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.3/4 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" (0.5/3 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.4/2).

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

Source: Nielsen Media Research