Syndication Ratings: Even Los Angeles Fires Can't Keep Talkers Down

Even with heavy daytime preemptions in Los Angeles on Dec. 5 and 6 for coverage of wildfires that were threatening parts of the city, all 15 talk shows were steady or higher in the week ended Dec. 10.

CBS Television Distribution’s Dr. Philadded 3% to lead the category in households for the 66th straight week at a 3.4 live plus same day average household rating. Among daytime’s key demographic of women 25-54, Phil also led with a 1.5.

Back in households, Warner Bros.’ Ellen DeGeneres and Disney-ABC’s Live with Kelly and Ryanboth remained at a respective 2.5 and 2.3. Rounding out talk’s top tier, Debmar-Mercury’s Wendy Williams jumped 8% to a 1.4, tying NBCUniversal’s Maury and Steve, both of which held steady, with Steve the only talker in the top six to hold at its season high.

CTD’s Rachael Ray rose 8% to a 1.3, equalling its season high. NBCU’s conflict talker JerrySpringer sprinted ahead 9% to a 1.2, matching its season high, and tying Sony Pictures Television’s Dr. Oz, which also added 9% to match its season high. NBCU’s Steve Wilkos stood pat at a 1.1. Warner Bros.’ Crime Watch Daily with Chris Hansen saw the category’s largest percentage increase, growing 11% to a 1.0 and matching its previous season high. NBCU’s Harry was steady at a 0.9, while CTD’s The Doctors flatlined for the 14th straight week at a 0.8, tying Warner Bros.’ The Real, which held steady.

Among the rookies, CTD’s Daily Mail TV led for the 12th straight week at a steady 1.0, and added 20% among women 25-54 to a 0.6.

Twentieth’s Page Six TV remained at a 0.8 in households and a 0.5 among women 25-54.

Entertainment Studios’ Funny You Should Ask held at a 0.5 in households, and a 0.3 in the key demo. Disney-ABC’s Pickler & Ben, produced by Scripps, remained at a 0.3 in households for the 12th straight week, but fell back 50% to a 0.1 among women 25-54.

CTD’s Judge Judy held steady for both the week and the year at a 7.2, keeping the court leader at the top of the syndication ranks for the 16ht time in 17 weeks.

CTD’s Hot Bench dipped 4% to a 2.3. Warner Bros.’ People’s Court climbed 6% to a 1.7. Warner Bros.’ Judge Mathis held at a1.2 for the fourth time in five weeks. Twentieth’s DivorceCourt was flat at a 0.9 for a fourth straight week. Trifecta’s Judge Faith fielded an unchanged 0.6 for an eighth consecutive week.

Magazines continued to be buoyed by a second week of coverage of the surprising firing of Today’s Matt Lauer for sexual misconduct, as well as coverage of other stories of sexual harassment in Hollywood and other industries. All of the top-five magazines hit new or previous season-high levels.

CTD’s Entertainment Tonight and sister show Inside Edition, which was upgraded in top-market access slots at the season’s start, to tie for first place at a 3.3 for the third time in the past five weeks. ET remained at its nine-month high for a second straight week, while Inside Edition gained 3% to hit a new season high.

Warner Bros.’ TMZ, NBCU’s Access Hollywood — which will be known simply as Access going forward — and Warner Bros.’ Extra all remained at their season highs of 1.5, 1.4 and 1.3, respectively.

Trifecta’s Celebrity Page was unchanged at a 0.3 for the sixth consecutive week.

The top-three games ran neck and neck, with Debmar-Mercury’s Family Feud unchanged at a 6.7, followed by CTD’s Jeopardy!, up 3% to a 6.6, and CTD’s Wheel of Fortune at a 6.5, up 3% to a new season high.

Disney-ABC’s Who Wants to be a Millionaire stood pat at a 1.7 for the fifth straight week.

Disney-ABC’s RightThisMinute moved up 7% too a new season-high 1.6, while NBCU’s off-net Dateline was unchanged at a 1.3.

Warner Bros.’ off-net sitcom leader The Big Bang Theory heated up 4% to a 5.2. Twentieth’s Modern Family also gained 4% to a 2.6. Twentieth’s Family Guy was flat at a 1.7, tying SPT’s newcomer The Goldbergs, which recovered 6%, and Twentieth’s Last Man Standing, which added 6%. Warner Bros.’ Two and a Half Men remained at its series-low 1.6 for a second week, tying Warner Bros.’ Mike & Molly, which also held steady. Warner Bros.’ 2 Broke Girls was on par with the prior week’s 1.3. SPT’s Seinfeld strengthened 9% to a new season-high 1.2. Twentieth’s The Cleveland Show stood pat at a 1.1.

Warner Bros.’ off-net rookie Mom moved up 11% to a new season-high 1.0, while CTD’s fellow freshman The Game grew 25% to a new season-high 0.5.

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.