Syndie Insider

Starting Over
To Get Second Season

NBC Enterprises' Starting Over
has been renewed for season two on NBC O&Os.

Although Starting Over
has shown some growth in both national household numbers and key female demos, it's not exactly a ratings blockbuster. For the week ended Dec. 7, the show averaged a 1.0 national household rating, according to Nielsen.

NBC Enterprises President Ed Wilson says that, while the show's national numbers are low, its demographic performance is strong. "Our challenge is to get the household number up, but, as we all know, most TV stations sell on demographics and the demos on this show have been very good."

With Starting Over
renewed, NBC is putting on hold three makeover shows in development, including a syndicated spinoff of Bravo's Queer Eye for the Straight Guy
called Gal Pals.

Live
To Live in California for a Week

Buena Vista's Live With Regis and Kelly
plans to escape New York's cold weather to broadcast from sunny Southern California, and it's taking five viewers along.

Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa will set up shop at Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure during the week of Jan. 18. Viewers who send in four daily clues that appear on the show during the week of Dec. 22 get a chance to see Live
in Anaheim. Winners will be selected during the week of Jan. 12.

Talkers Slip in First Week of December

With November sweeps completed and the holiday season ramping up, most of syndication declined in the week ended Dec. 7.

Ratings for only one of the 15 talk shows were up: Buena Vista's Live With Regis and Kelly
hit a 3.9, gaining 5% week-to-week and 18% year-to-year. Twelve talkers were down; two were flat. King World's Oprah Winfrey Show, having had its biggest sweeps in five years, was down 13% on the week to 6.7. King World's Dr. Phil, which also had a high-rated sweeps, slipped 5% to 5.3.