nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for wednesday, december 5, 2012)

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

FOX (8.25 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.8, #1) pulled in front among adults 18-49 on Wednesday with its lineup of "The X Factor" (8.15 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.8, #5) and a second "The X Factor" (8.36 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.9, #T2).

CBS (9.12 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.5, #2) then snagged the silver with originals from "Survivor: Philippines" (10.64 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.9, #T2) and "Criminal Minds" (11.33 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.0, #1) plus its annual "The Grammy Nominations Concert Live! - Countdown to Music's Biggest Night" (5.41 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.5, #12).

Next up was ABC (6.79 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.2, #3) and its mix of "The Middle" (7.98 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.3, #6), "The Neighbors" (6.42 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.9, #T7), a repeat of "Modern Family" (8.36 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.9, #T2), "Suburgatory" (6.09 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.2, #10) and "Nashville" (5.95 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.9, #11).

Meanwhile, NBC (5.71 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.6, #4) offered up new episodes of "Whitney" (3.92 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.3, #13), "Guys With Kids" (3.59 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.4, #14), "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (6.16 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.6, #9) and "Chicago Fire" (7.21 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.9, #T7).

And finally, fresh installments of "Arrow" (3.35 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.1, #15) and "Supernatural" (2.06 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.9, #16) on The CW (2.70 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.0, #5) closed out the evening.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+35.71% - Chicago Fire (vs. 11/21/12)
+27.27% - Guys With Kids (vs. 11/21/12)
+23.08% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (vs. 11/21/12)
+18.18% - Whitney (vs. 11/21/12)
+7.41% - Survivor: Philippines
+5.56% - Nashville
+3.70% - The X Factor
+3.45% - Criminal Minds
0.00% - The Neighbors (vs. 11/14/12)
0.00% - Supernatural
-3.33% - The X Factor - 9:00
-8.00% - The Middle (vs. 11/14/12)
-8.33% - Arrow
-15.38% - Suburgatory

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+120.00% - Arrow (vs. America's Next Top Model (Repeat))
+33.33% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (vs. Harry's Law)
+7.41% - The X Factor - 9:00 (vs. The X Factor/I Hate My Teenage Daughter)
0.00% - Chicago Fire (vs. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit)
0.00% - Guys With Kids (vs. Up All Night (Repeat))
-10.00% - Supernatural (vs. America's Next Top Model)
-11.76% - Criminal Minds (vs. Criminal Minds)
-12.12% - Survivor: Philippines
-15.15% - The X Factor - 8:00
-17.86% - The Middle
-20.83% - Nashville (vs. Revenge)
-24.14% - Suburgatory (vs. Happy Endings)
-27.78% - Whitney (vs. Up All Night)
-32.14% - The Neighbors (vs. Suburgatory)
-40.00% - The Grammy Nominations Concert Live! - Countdown to Music's Biggest Night (vs. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation)

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," 2.9/8; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.1/5; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 3.0/7; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.5/5 with an encore.

* In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 0.9/4; "Late Show," 0.5/2; "Nightline," 1.0/5; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.5/3 with an encore.

* 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" (1.1/4). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.5/3 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.3/2).

* At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 1.0/4 in metered-market households and a 0.3/3 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

Here are the highlights of the 16 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (12/7/11):

CBS (11.62 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.1, #1) took home top honors on a competitive Wednesday with its mix of "Survivor: South Pacific" (11.54 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.3, #T3), "Criminal Minds" (12.26 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.4, #2) and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (11.07 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.5, #8).

ABC (8.35 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.0, #T2) and FOX (9.27 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.0, #T2) then split the silver as the latter offered up a new "The X Factor" (10.55 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 3.3, #T3) and week two of "I Hate My Teenage Daughter" (5.42 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 2.1, #10).

Next up was the Alphabet with its fall finales of "The Middle" (8.81 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.8, #T6), "Suburgatory" (8.04 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.8, #T6), "Modern Family" (12.13 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 5.0, #1), "Happy Endings" (6.53 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 2.9, #5) and "Revenge" (7.31 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.4, #9).

Meanwhile, NBC (6.12 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.6, #4) likewise served up the final 2011 editions of "Up All Night" (4.96 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.8, #12), a repeat of "Up All Night" (3.84 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.4, #13), "Harry's Law" (7.04 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.2, #14) and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (6.93 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.9, #11).

And finally, an encore of "America's Next Top Model" (1.26 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.5, #16) led into the season finale of "America's Next Top Model" (2.35 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.0, #15) on The CW (1.81 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.8, #5). In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Top Model" posted a 0.7 rating at 8:00/7:00c and a 1.4 rating at 9:00/8:00c.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+25.00% - America's Next Top Model
+20.00% - Up All Night (vs. 11/23/11)
+14.29% - Revenge (vs. 11/23/11)
+12.00% - The Middle (vs. 11/23/11)
+12.00% - Suburgatory (vs. 11/23/11)
+11.11% - Modern Family (vs. 11/23/11)
+7.41% - Happy Endings (vs. 11/23/11)
+6.45% - Survivor: South Pacific
-3.85% - CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (vs. 11/16/11)
-8.11% - Criminal Minds (vs. 11/16/11)
-10.81% - The X Factor
-13.64% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
-14.29% - Harry's Law
-25.00% - I Hate My Teenage Daughter

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+150.00% - America's Next Top Model (vs. Fashion Forward: Making It!)
+80.33% - The X Factor (vs. Human Target/Hell's Kitchen)
+50.00% - Revenge (vs. Cougar Town (Repeat)/Modern Family (Repeat))
+27.27% - Suburgatory (vs. Better With You)
+25.00% - CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (vs. The Defenders)
+21.95% - Modern Family
+12.00% - The Middle
+11.54% - Happy Endings (vs. Cougar Town)
+5.56% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (vs. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (Repeat))
-2.86% - Criminal Minds
-8.33% - Survivor: South Pacific
-8.70% - I Hate My Teenage Daughter (vs. Hell's Kitchen)
-30.77% - Up All Night (vs. The Sing-Off)
-53.85% - Harry's Law (vs. The Sing-Off)

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," 2.7/7; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 3.1/7; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.5/5.

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," 1.0/4; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.5/3.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.6/5 in metered-market households) beat CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.3/5). 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 1.0/4 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