nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for wednesday, november 28, 2012)

Here are the highlights of the 13 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night:

ABC (7.97 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.8, #T1) and FOX (8.08 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.8, #T1) shared the demo crown on Wednesday as the latter served up new episodes of "The X Factor" (7.73 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.7, #T5) and "The X Factor" (8.44 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 3.0, #2).

The Alphabet then offered up its mix of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" (8.85 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.9, #T3), "Modern Family" (11.95 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 4.7, #1), "Suburgatory" (6.88 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 2.6, #T8) and "Nashville" (5.65 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.8, #11).

Next up was CBS (11.54 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.7, #3) with originals from "Survivor: Philippines" (10.35 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.7, #T5), "Criminal Minds" (12.27 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.9, #T3) and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (11.99 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.6, #T8).

Meanwhile, NBC (7.96 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.5, #4) remained the hunt with its specials "Christmas in Rockefeller Center" (9.09 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.1, #10) and "SNL Christmas" (7.39 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.7, #T5).

And finally, new episodes of "Arrow" (3.71 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.2, #12) and "Supernatural" (2.07 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.9, #13) closed out the evening on The CW (2.89 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.0, #5). In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Arrow" delivered a 1.0 rating at 8:00/7:00c and "Supernatural" a 0.6 rating at 9:00/8:00c.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+30.43% - The X Factor - 9:00
+28.57% - The X Factor - 8:00
+17.39% - Survivor: Philippines
+13.04% - CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
+8.33% - Suburgatory (vs. 11/14/12)
+7.41% - Criminal Minds
+2.17% - Modern Family (vs. 11/14/12)
0.00% - Nashville (vs. 11/14/12)
0.00% - Arrow (vs. 11/14/12)
-10.00% - Supernatural (vs. 11/14/12)

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+80.77% - Modern Family (vs. Modern Family (Repeat))
+50.00% - Nashville (vs. Revenge (Repeat))
+50.00% - SNL Christmas (vs. Harry's Law/Law & Order: Special Victims Unit)
+50.00% - Arrow (vs. A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa (Repeat))
+38.10% - Criminal Minds (vs. Criminal Minds (Repeat))
+36.84% - CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (vs. The Grammy Nominations Concert Live! - Countdown to Music's Biggest Night)
+23.81% - Suburgatory (vs. Happy Endings (Repeat))
+16.67% - Christmas in Rockefeller Center
+12.50% - Supernatural (vs. America's Next Top Model)
-7.69% - The X Factor - 9:00 (vs. The X Factor/I Hate My Teenage Daughter)
-12.90% - Survivor: Philippines
-27.03% - The X Factor - 8:00

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," 3.0/8; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.4/6 with an encore; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 3.3/8; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.7/5.

* 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 with an encore; "Nightline," 1.0/4; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.6/3.

* At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.5/5 in metered-market households with an encore) beat CBS's first-run "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.4/5). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.5/3 in 18-49 with an encore) tied "Late Late Show" (0.5/4).

* 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.

Here are the highlights of the 15 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (11/30/11):

FOX (9.91 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.4, #1) was Wednesday's top draw thanks to a new "The X Factor" (10.93 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.7, #1) plus the premiere of "I Hate My Teenage Daughter" (6.84 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.8, #3).

CBS (8.03 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.4, #2) then claimed the silver with its mix of "Survivor: South Pacific" (10.92 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.1, #2), a repeat of "Criminal Minds" (7.55 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.1, #T6) and its annual special "The Grammy Nominations Concert Live! - Countdown to Music's Biggest Night" (5.62 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.9, #8).

Next up was NBC (9.72 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.8, #T3) with its annual "Christmas in Rockefeller Center" (9.42 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.8, #T9) special followed by new episodes of "Harry's Law" (9.91 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.4, #12) - a season high - and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (9.83 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.2, #5).

Meanwhile, ABC (5.23 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.8, #T3) fell to fourth place with an all-repeat lineup of "The Middle" (6.00 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.8, #T9), "Suburgatory" (5.26 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.7, #11), "Modern Family" (7.16 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.6, #4), "Happy Endings" (4.96 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 2.1, #T6) and "Revenge" (4.01 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.2, #13).

And finally, the special "A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa" (2.40 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T14) led into a new "America's Next Top Model" (1.93 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T14) on The CW (2.16 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.8, #5). In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Muppets" delivered a 1.1 rating while "Top Model" posted a 1.1 rating.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+100.00% - America's Next Top Model
+63.16% - Survivor: South Pacific
+48.00% - The X Factor
+27.27% - Harry's Law (vs. 11/16/11)
+15.79% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (vs. 11/16/11)

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+91.71% - The X Factor (vs. Human Target/Hell's Kitchen)
+7.69% - I Hate My Teenage Daughter (vs. Hell's Kitchen)
0.00% - America's Next Top Model (vs. Hellcats)
0.00% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (vs. Law & Order: Los Angeles)
-13.89% - Survivor: South Pacific
-44.00% - Harry's Law (vs. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit)

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," 3.5/9; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.1/5 with an encore; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 3.0/7; 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," 0.8/5 with an encore; "Nightline," 1.0/4; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.5/3.

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" (1.2/4). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.6/4 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.5/3).

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

Source: Nielsen Media Research