Syndie Insider

Two new first-run shows made their national syndication debuts in the shortened Labor Day week: Buena Vista's The Wayne Brady Show and Telco's half-hour weekly Missing.

Wayne Brady (left), after a slow roll-out last year, opened wide on stations covering 88% of the U.S. with a 0.9 rating, although its average rose to a 1.7 in the metered-market ratings. Telco's Missing premiered at a 0.3 in 52% of the U.S.

The week ending Sept. 7 included Labor Day and U.S. Open tennis coverage on that Monday and Friday, causing many strips to be broken out on Monday, the holiday. The ratings for some syndicated shows were hurt by preemptions that Friday in some markets.

Top talk shows and most magazines saw gains. Buena Vista's Live with Regis & Kelly, kicking off its new season, had the biggest increase among talkers, surging 20% from the week before to a 3.6 and jumping 9% from last year at this time.

Oprah, still in repeats that week, led the talkers with a 5.4, up 8% week to week and up 6% from last year. Oprah was followed by Dr. Phil, unchanged at 4.3.

Magazine leader, Paramount's Entertainment Tonight, gained 4% to 4.8, even with last year. King World's Inside Edition was unchanged at 3.1 but up 11% from its year-ago mark. NBC Enterprises' Access Hollywood jumped 24% to 2.6, still down 4% from last year. Warner Bros.' Extra was up 10% for the week, but down 15% year to year. Warner Bros.' Celebrity Justice, at a 1.4, gained 8% week to week and year to year.

After ten weeks on the air, Twentieth's Classmates, cleared in 25 metered markets, is down 14% from its Sept. 2002 time period and down one share from its lead-in with a 1.8 rating/5 share. Twentieth's Ambush Makeover, cleared in 23 metered markets, is off 15% from last year's time period average and down one share from its average lead-in to a 1.7/5.