nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for friday, december 21, 2012)

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

ABC (4.84 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T1) was the most-watched network on Friday with its mix of "Last Man Standing" (4.29 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T4) and "Malibu Country" (3.78 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T6) repeats plus the two-hour special "Back to the Beginning with Christiane Amanpour" (5.25 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.1, #1).

FOX (2.71 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T1) then shared the demo crown thanks to a repeat of "Kitchen Nightmares" (2.40 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T4) and a new "Fringe" (3.02 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T2).

Next up was NBC (4.42 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.8, #3) with encores of "Blake Shelton's Not So Family Christmas" (5.05 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T2) and "Michael Buble Christmas Special" (4.44 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T6) alongside its mainstay "Dateline NBC" (3.78 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T6).

Meanwhile, CBS (4.05 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T5) offered up its marathon lineup of "The Good Wife" (4.13 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T10), another "The Good Wife" (3.92 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T10) and yet another "The Good Wife" (4.12 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.7, #9).

And finally, rebroadcasts of "The Happy Elf" (1.73 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T10) and "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" (1.88 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T10) on The CW (1.80 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T5) closed out the night. In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Elf" delivered a 0.5 rating at 8:00/7:00c and "Reindeer" a 0.6 rating at 9:00/8:00c.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
-9.09% - Fringe
-60.00% - Dateline NBC

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+100.00% - Fringe (vs. Fringe (Repeat))
+6.80% - Back to the Beginning with Christiane Amanpour (vs. Prep & Landing 2: Naughty vs. Nice/Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special/20/20)
0.00% - Dateline NBC (vs. Dateline NBC (Repeat))

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," 3.2/8; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.4/6; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 3.2/7; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.6/4 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," 0.6/3; "Nightline," 1.0/4; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.5/3 with an encore.

* At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.9/6 in metered-market households) beat CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.3/4). 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 1.1/4 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 (12/23/11):

ABC (4.17 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.1, #1) slipped into the top spot on Friday with its mix of "Shrek the Halls" (5.09 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.4, #1), "Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation" (3.71 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T2), "Prep & Landing 2: Naughty vs. Nice" (3.49 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T2), "Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special" (3.31 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T5) and "20/20" (4.70 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T5).

CBS (6.71 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.0, #2) then was the most-watched network with its all-repeat lineup of "A Gifted Man" (5.61 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T9), "CSI: NY" (7.30 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T5) and "Blue Bloods" (7.22 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T2).

Next up was NBC (3.15 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.9, #3) with a new "Chuck" (3.41 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T5) followed by repeats of "Grimm" (2.90 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T9) and "Dateline NBC" (3.15 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T9).

Meanwhile, FOX (1.91 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.6, #4) offered up repeats of "Kitchen Nightmares" (2.44 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T9) and "Fringe" (1.39 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T13).

And finally, rebroadcasts of "Olive, the Other Reindeer" (1.27 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.4, #15) and "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" (1.60 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T13) on The CW (1.44 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.4, #5) capped the night.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):

+11.11% - 20/20
+11.11% - Chuck

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
-9.09% - 20/20 (vs. Santa Clause 2 (Repeat))
-28.57% - Chuck (vs. It's a Wonderful Life (Repeat))

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," 3.0/7; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.6/6; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 2.9/7; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.5/4 with an encore.

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

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.8/5 in metered-market households) beat CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.3/4). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.7/3 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.3/2).

At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 1.1/4 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