'Harry' Off to Respectable Start

Updated: Tuesday, Sept. 13 at 3:15 pm PT

NBCUniversal’s new nationally syndicated strip Harry premiered on Monday, Sept. 12, with a 1.4 rating/4 share primary run household average in the 56 metered markets, according to Nielsen Media Research. Tegna Media's T.D. Jakes, which is airing on 70 local stations across the country and on cable network OWN in a one-week delayed run, also debuted on Monday, and averaged a 0.9 rating/3 share in households, about even with last year's time-period performance.

Harry stars Harry Connick Jr., and the daytime variety and entertainment show features music, celebrities, real people and in-the-field segments as well as Connick Jr.’s own band. T.D. Jakes -- which combines talk, advice and spirituality -- stars Dallas-based minister T.D. Jakes talking to real people about issues they are facing in their lives.

Among daytime’s key demographic of women 25-54, Harry improved over year-ago time periods by 40% to a 0.7/4.

On Fox-owned WNYW New York where the show airs at 4 p.m., Harry was up 60% over last year to a 1.6/5 in households. Harry airs on the Fox owned stations in the country's biggest markets, as well as on Sinclair owned stations in nearly 50 markets. 

Its best performance was on WINK Ft. Myers, where it did a 5.1/13 at 3 p.m., 219% over last year at this time.

Compared to the last successful talk launch, Warner Bros.’ The Real in 2014, Harry was up 56%. The Real averaged a 0.9 in households last season and is renewed through next season. 

Related: Hoping for a Big Win, Daytime Turns to 'Harry'

Last year, three new shows debuted: Warner Bros.’ Crime Watch Daily, Disney-ABC’s FABLife and NBCU’s Crazy Talk. Of those, only Crime Watch Daily, which has added Chris Hansen as host and moved production to New York, is returning for a second season. Crime Watch Daily averaged a 0.9 household rating in its rookie season.

Related: Chris Hansen Joins 'Crime Watch Daily'

Metered-market ratings are usually higher than national household ratings. The national ratings for Harry and other syndicated shows’ opening weeks will be available later this month.

Paige Albiniak

Contributing editor Paige Albiniak has been covering the business of television for more than 25 years. She is a longtime contributor to Next TV, Broadcasting + Cable and Multichannel News. She concurrently serves as editorial director for The Global Entertainment Marketing Academy of Arts & Sciences (G.E.M.A.). She has written for such publications as TVNewsCheck, The New York Post, Variety, CBS Watch and more. Albiniak was B+C’s Los Angeles bureau chief from September 2002 to 2004, and an associate editor covering Congress and lobbying for the magazine in Washington, D.C., from January 1997 - September 2002.