NBC TV Show Ratings for Thursday, October 4, 2012

The folks at NBC share their take on last night’s ratings, especially focusing on their shows — 30 Rock, Up All Night, The Office, Parks and Recreation, and Rock Center with Brian Williams.

Also included are the numbers for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and Last Call with Carson Daly.

Thursday Results (CW carried NFL football in St. Louis and CBS carried the game in Phoenix):

* At 8 p.m. ET, the seventh season debut of “30 Rock” delivered a 1.3/4 in 18-49 and 3.4 million viewers overall in a highly competitive half-hour versus CBS’s “Big Bang Theory,” Fox’s “X Factor” and ABC’s “Last Resort.” “30 Rock” finished within a tenth of a point of the show’s season finale in the 8:30 half-hour on May 17. Versus that May finale, last night’s “30 Rock” was up 20 percent in total viewers (3.402 million vs. 2.843 million).

* Note that last season “30 Rock” added an average 45 percent to these next-day “live plus same day” ratings when Nielsen reported “live plus seven day” results.

* At 8:30 p.m. ET, “Up All Night” (1.4/4 in 18-49, 3.1 million viewers overall) grew versus its lead-in by 8 percent, the show’s top performance relative to lead-in so far this season, and also built on lead-in by 17 percent in adults 18-34 (with a 1.4 rating vs. a 1.2). In a highly competitive time period versus CBS’s “Two and a Half Men,” Fox’s “X Factor” and ABC’s “Last Resort,” “Up All Night” maintained its 18-49 rating of the prior week

* Keep in mind that last season “Up All Night” added an average 51 percent to these next-day “live plus same day” ratings when Nielsen reported “live plus seven day” results, the biggest percentage increase for any comedy on ABC, CBS, NBC or Fox.

* From 9-9:31 p.m. ET, “The Office” (2.1/6 in 18-49, 4.1 million viewers overall) maintained its 18-49 rating of one week earlier and built on its lead-in by 50 percent in a competitive time period versus ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy,” CBS’s “Person of Interest” and Fox’s “Glee.” This week’s “Office” also remained within 5 percent of the show’s 2.2 average for last May’s sweep in 18-49 (with a 2.1 rating vs. a 2.2). This week’s “Office” is #1 in the half-hour among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in men 18-34.

* Note that last season “The Office” added an average 50 percent to these next-day “live plus same day” ratings when Nielsen reported “live plus seven day” results.

* From 9:31-10 p.m. ET, “Parks and Recreation” (1.9/5 in 18-49, 3.5 million viewers overall) retained 90 percent of its lead-in from “The Office,” up from last week’s 76 percent, in a challenging time period versus the concluding half-hours of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy,” CBS’s “Person of Interest” and Fox’s “Glee.” “Parks” delivered NBC’s best in-season rating in the time period since January 19.

* “Parks and Recreation” is up week to week by 23 percent in 18-49 rating (to a 1.9 from a 1.6), to earn the show’s highest rating since January 19, and is up week to week in total viewers by 8 percent (3.526 million vs. 3.274 million), to claim the show’s biggest overall audience since March 8.

* Keep in mind that last season “Parks and Recreation” added an average 39 percent to these next-day “live plus same day” ratings when Nielsen reported “live plus seven day” results.

* At 10 p.m. ET, “Rock Center” (1.1/3 in 18-49, 3.4 million viewers overall) reported NBC’s top in-season 18-49 and total-viewers results in the slot since March 22. Week to week, “Rock Center” is up in 18-49 by 0.3 of a point or 38% (1.1 vs. 0.8) and in total viewers by 8 percent (3.386 million vs. 3.131).

In Late-Night Metered Markets Thursday night:

* In Nielsen’s 56 metered markets, household results were: “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” 2.5/6; CBS’s “Late Show with David Letterman,” 2.8/7; and ABC’s combo of “Nightline,” 3.0/7; 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,” 0.7/3; “Late Show,” 0.6/3; “Nightline,” 0.9/4; and “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” 0.6/3.

* At 12:35 a.m., “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” (1.3/5 in metered-market households) tied CBS’s “Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” (1.3/4). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, “Late Night” (0.4/3 in 18-49) tied “Late Late Show” (0.4/2).

* At 1:35 a.m., “Last Call with Carson Daly” averaged a 0.8/4 in metered-market households and a 0.3/2 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

NOTE: All ratings are “live plus same day” from Nielsen Media Research unless otherwise indicated.