Not So Merry

By Staff -- Broadcasting & Cable, 1/9/2006

It was a chilly pre-Christmas week for syndicated shows, according to national household ratings for the week ended Dec. 25.

Especially hard-hit were the court shows, all of which fell week-to-week. Judge Judy topped the genre as usual, but its 4.7 rating was off 6% from the previous week. Judge Joe Brown was down 4% to a 3.1, The People’s Court fell 7% to a 2.7, and Divorce Court also dropped 7% to a 2.5. Rookie Judge Alex lost 4% for the week to a 2.2, tying Judge Mathis, which was off 8%. Judge Hatchett weighed in with a 1.8, down 10% for the week.

The news was slightly better for the talk shows in general, though not for The Oprah Winfrey Show or Dr. Phil, both of which hit season lows. Oprah was down 7% for the week to a 6.2 and has fallen for four straight weeks. Dr. Phil lost 6% to a 4.7, also a new season low.

But four talk shows gained, led by Live With Regis and Kelly’s 3.9, tying its season high and up 3% for the week. Maury was up 4% to a 2.9, Montel 10% to a 2.2 and The Tony Danza Show 9% to a 1.2.

Freshmen Martha and The Tyra Banks Show were flat for the week with a 1.8 and 1.7, respectively.

Also bucking the trend was the weekend edition of Entertainment Tonight. Its repeat looking at the biggest showbiz stories of the past 25 years earned a 3.1 rating, up 35% for the week and 24% on a year-to-year basis.