Syndie Insider

Warner Bros.' The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Buena Vista's Who Wants To Be a Millionaire had their best weeks ever in the week ended Jan. 25, while veterans King World's Jeopardy and Warner Bros.' Judge Mathis hit new season highs.

Ellen, this season's top new first-run strip, hit a best-ever 2.0 household rating, gaining 11% from the previous week and 43% from its September premiere. Among other rookies, Warner Bros.' The Sharon Osbourne Show, unchanged at 1.3, held on to second place, but launch group Tribune is not renewing the show, which won't be back next season.

Millionaire hit 4.0 for the first time, climbing 3% from the week before and 11% from last year. Jeopardy, in second place among game shows, was up 4% week-to-week to a season-high 8.1, and King World's Wheel of Fortune, the game-show leader, was down 2% to 9.7.

King World's Dr. Phil was the only talk show in the top four to improve for the week, gaining 4% to 5.3 and scoring a rarity for a talk show, a triple win in prime time. For the first time, on Jan. 23, Dr. Phil was No. 1 in all of its prime time slots, averaging a 6.5/11 in San Francisco, Phoenix and Jacksonville.

King World's Oprah, the talk-show leader, was unchanged at 7.3, although the show was up 30% from last year at this time. In third place, Buena Vista's Live With Regis & Kelly was unchanged at 3.9, while Universal's Maury was down 3% to 3.0.

Dawn Abel has been named senior vice president of research at Paramount Worldwide Television Distribution, taking the slot formerly held by Executive Vice President Mike Mellon, who left in November to become ABC's senior vice president of research. In her new position, Abel will be responsible for overseeing all quantitative and qualitative research for Paramount Domestic Television, Paramount International Television and Paramount Television Productions. She has been senior vice president of research, Paramount Domestic Television.