Syndication Ratings: 'Katie' Scores with Manti Te'o Interview

Several shows, including 'Wendy Williams' and 'The Big Bang Theory,' see series highs as syndies head into February sweeps

By Paige Albiniak -- Broadcasting & Cable, 2/5/2013 4:30:35 PM

Disney-ABC's Katie's exclusive interview with Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o, who fell for a girl that turned out to be an Internet hoax, drove the freshman talker to a new series high in the week ended Jan. 27.

Katie, hosted by Katie Couric, scored a 2.2 live plus same day household rating for the week. The story blew up in January after the Gawker-owned sports blog, Deadspin, broke the news that the girlfriend did not actually exist and that Te'o had been the victim of an elaborate hoax.

With that rating, Katie improved 16% from the prior week. The episode featuring Te'o was the show's highest yet at a 2.8, up 47% from the show's prior week average.

Katie and most other daytime shows were broken out on Monday, Jan. 21, for the second inauguration of President Obama, which also was also the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

Among the rest of the syndicated rookies, NBCUniversal's Steve Harvey remained at its series-high 1.6 for a third straight week. Twentieth's Ricki Lake, which won't return next season, gained 14% to a 0.8. CBS Television Distribution's Jeff Probst, meanwhile, dipped 13% to a 0.7. NBCUniversal's recently renewed Trisha Goddard held steady at its series-high 0.6 set in the prior week.

CTD's Dr. Phil grew 3% from the prior week to a 3.3, and finished first among daytime's key demographic of women 25-54, growing 6% to a 1.8. 

National ratings for Dr. Phil's two-part interview with Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, the man behind the Manti Te'o hoax, aired Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, and will be available next week. In the 56 metered markets, however, day one of McGraw's interview with Tuiasosopo averaged a 3.3 household rating/9 share for Dr. Phil's primary runs, up 14% from Phil's prior four-week average, and up 17% to a 1.4/8 among women 25-54. Part two on Feb. 1 fell 10% to a 3.0/8.

Disney-ABC's Live! with Kelly and Michael jumped 4% to a 2.8, tying Warner Bros.' Ellen, which was steady, for second place. Both shows gained 8% over last year.

In fourth place, Sony's Dr. Oz faded 4% to a 2.5, and is down 14% compared to last year at this time, tying Jeremy Kyle for talk's biggest year-to-year drop.

NBCUniversal's Maury eased 4% to a 2.4, but led the talkers among women 18-49 and women 18-34 with a 1.7 in both demos.

CTD's Rachael Ray cooked up a 7% increase to a 1.6, tying NBCU's Steve Wilkos, which held steady at its series high and was up 14% from last year. 

Debmar-Mercury's Wendy Williams added 7% to a series-high 1.5, finishing 36% ahead of last year, and landing in a tie with NBCU's unchanged Jerry Springer. Among women 25-54, Wendy scored a 1.1, the show's best rating in the demo since November 2009, and 38% above the show's season-to-date average.

CTD's The Doctors and Warner Bros.' Anderson Live, which will end after this season, both were flat at a 1.4 and 1.2, respectively. Debmar-Mercury's Jeremy Kyle, also departing after this season, came in last at an unchanged 0.6.

NBCU's slow roll-out, Access Hollywood Live, was broadcast from NATPE in Miami Beach last week, averaging a stable 1.2/4 in households in its 11 metered markets, while gaining 11% among women 25-54 to a 0.9/6.

Meanwhile, Warner Bros.' interactive game show, Let's Ask America, scored its highest rating yet, averaging a 2.0/4 among households in its six metered markets, up 5% from the prior week.

Back in the national ratings, Warner Bros.' off-net sitcom, The Big Bang Theory, broke through the 8.0 barrier to hit a new season-high 8.1, leading all of syndication and adding 3% from the prior week. Warner Bros.' Two and a Half Men added 2% to a 5.6. Twentieth's Family Guy remained at a 4.1. Twentieth's How I Met Your Mother moved up 3% to a 3.1. SPT's Seinfeld slipped 4% to a 2.4, tying Twentieth's King of the Hill, which climbed 4%. CTD's Everybody Loves Raymond and Friends both were flat at a 2.1.

In daytime, CTD's Judge Judy dipped 3% to a 7.2, but remained daytime's highest-rated show. CTD's Judge Joe Brown added 4% to a second-place 2.6. Warner Bros.' People's Court was flat at a 1.9. Warner Bros.' Judge Mathis rose 7% to a 1.6. Twentieth's Judge Alex also advanced 7% to a 1.5, while its Divorce Court was flat at a 1.4. Entertainment Studios' America's Court declined 13% to a 0.7, while its freshman Justice for All and We the People were unchanged at a 0.4 and 0.2, respectively.

Game shows mostly gained ground with CTD's Wheel of Fortune inching ahead 1% from the prior week to hit a new season-high 7.8. CTD's Jeopardy! added 3% to also hit a new season-high 7.0.

Debmar-Mercury's Family Feud was steady at a 5.1 in households, and it hit an all-time best among women 25-54 at a 2.7. Family Feud is up 64% compared to the same week last year in households. 

Disney-ABC's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire pocketed an 8% increase to a new season high 2.6. NBCU's rookie Baggage declined 8% to a 1.1.

Magazines were mostly steady. CTD's leader Entertainment Tonight dipped 3% from the prior week to a 3.8. CTD's Inside Edition and Warner Bros,' TMZ both were steady at a 3.3 and 2.1, respectively. NBCU's Access Hollywood yielded 5% to a 1.8. Warner Bros.' Extra which had shot up 31% in three weeks, gave back 12% to a 1.5. The new omg! Insider held firm at a 1.4, as did Twentieth's newcomer Dish Nation at a 1.0.