nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for thursday, april 14, 2011)

Here are the highlights of the 17 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night:

FOX (16.45 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.9, #1) coast to victory on Thursday with its combination of "American Idol" (20.98 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 6.1, #1) and "Bones" (11.93 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.7, #3).

The silver then went to NBC (4.63 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.1, #2) with a new "Community" (3.48 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T10) - a series low, followed by the premiere of "The Paul Reiser Show" (3.31 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.1, #15) - NBC's lowest-rated in-season comedy series premiere ever, and fresh installments of "The Office" (7.69 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 3.9, #2), "Parks & Recreation" (5.23 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.6, #4), "30 Rock" (4.50 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 2.2, #5) and "Outsourced" (3.54 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.7, #9).

Next up was CBS (8.53 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.6, #3) and its all-repeat lineup of "The Big Bang Theory" (7.47 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.8, #8), "Rules of Engagement" (5.83 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T12), "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (8.15 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T10) and "The Mentalist" (10.78 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.9, #T6).

Meanwhile, ABC (4.42 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.3, #4) offered up a new "Wipeout" (6.20 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.9, #T6) alongside repeats of "Grey's Anatomy" (4.20 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T12) and "Private Practice" (2.85 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T16).

And finally, new episodes of "The Vampire Diaries" (2.79 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 1.2, #14) and "Nikita" (2.16 million viewers, #17; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T16) on The CW (2.47 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.0, #5) rounded out the night.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49): Outsourced (30.80%), The Office (14.70% vs. 3/24/11), Nikita (14.30%), 30 Rock (10.00% vs. 3/24/11), Bones (8.80%), Parks & Recreation (4.00% vs. 3/24/11), American Idol (0.00%), Wipeout (0.00% vs. 3/31/11), The Vampire Diaries (0.00%), Community (-22.20% vs. 3/24/11).

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," 2.7/7; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.7/7; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 2.6/6; 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," 1.0/4; "Late Show," 0.7/3; "Nightline," 0.9/4; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.5/3.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.4/5 in metered-market households with an encore) beat CBS's first-run "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.3/5). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.6/4 in 18-49 with an encore) topped "Late Late Show" (0.4/2).

At 1:35 a.m., Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.8/4 with an encore 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 13 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (4/15/10):

New episodes of "Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains" (12.13 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.7, #1) and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (13.04 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.0, #2) had no trouble putting CBS (12.22 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.1, #1) in front on Thursday. Capping the night was a repeat of "The Mentalist" (11.50 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.4, #T5).

The silver then went to FOX (8.21 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.6, #2) with fresh installments of "Bones" (9.74 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.8, #T3) and "Fringe" (6.67 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.4, #T5).

Next up was NBC (5.73 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.4, #3) with repeats of "The Office" (3.78 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T9), another "The Office" (3.79 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.7, #7) and the new documentary "SNL in the 2000s: Time and Again" (6.70 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.8, #T3).

Meanwhile, ABC (4.46 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T4) had a new "FlashForward" (4.99 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T9) leading into repeats of "Grey's Anatomy" (4.66 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T9) and "Private Practice" (3.72 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T12).

And finally, a new "The Vampire Diaries" (2.99 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.5, #8) lead into the 100th episode of "Supernatural" (2.44 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T12) on The CW (2.71 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T4).

Source: Nielsen Media Research