Syndication Ratings: Family Feud Reclaims Overall Lead

Debmar-Mercury’s Family Feud reclaimed its spot atop both the games and all of syndication in the week ended April 12, adding 6% to a 7.4 live plus same day national household rating, according to Nielsen Media Research. That marks the Steve Harvey-hosted show’s highest rating since the week of Jan. 15, 2018, and the first time it’s led all of syndication since the week of Dec. 23, 2019.

CBS Television Distribution’s Jeopardy!, which just scheduled a two-week re-airing of its “Greatest of All Time” tournament, and stablemate Wheel of Fortune were in close pursuit with the Alex Trebeck-hosted mainstay dipping 1% to a 7.1, while Wheel bounced back 17% to a 6.8 after a precipitous fall in the prior frame.

Related: 'Jeopardy! GOAT' Tournament to Air in Syndication for First Time

Entertainment Studios’ Funny You Should Ask was unchanged at a 0.6.

Among the rookie games, Fox’s 25 Words or Less, starring Meredith Vieira, and Sony Pictures Television’s off-GSN America Says both held at a 1.3 and a 0.9, respectively.

Also in first-run, Disney’s internet video RightThisMinute stayed at a 0.9 for a third consecutive week.

Meanwhile, daytime was choppy as many, but not all, shows were eviscerated by news preemptions.

Disney’s Live with Kelly and Ryan stayed on top of the talkers for the third straight week despite dipping 8% to a 2.3 with four originals, produced remotely from the hosts’ homes, and one repeat.

Year to year, Live was the only talker in the top three to be ahead of last year, improving 5%. Among daytime’s key demographic of women 25-54, Live was first at a 1.1.

Back in households, CTD’s Dr. Phil aired repeats on two of the five days and repeatedly faced pandemic preemptions but held steady at a second place 2.1 for a third straight week.

Warner Bros.’ Ellen DeGeneres recovered 13% from season-low levels to a 1.8. NBCU’s Maury maintained a 1.2 for a third consecutive week. CTD’s Rachael Ray retreated 8% to a 1.1, tying both Debmar-Mercury’s Wendy Williams and SPT’s Dr. Oz, which both were flat, and NBCU’s Steve Wilkos, which added 10%.

Warner Bros’ The Real and CTD’s The Doctors both dropped 17% to a 0.5. NBCU’s out-of-production syndicated version of Jerry Springer stabilized at a 0.3.

Among the talk rookies, NBCU’s Kelly Clarkson began airing segments produced from her ranch in Montana on April 6 and held at a 1.3 despite being preempted 17 times in the top eight markets alone. That put Kelly Clarkson in fourth place among all 14 talkers behind Live, Phil and Ellen.

Disney’s Tamron Hall also ran into preemptions and slipped 9% to a 1.0.

SPT’s Mel Robbins was flat at a 0.4 for the third straight week. Unlike Clarkson and Hall, Robbins will not return for a second season.

Elsewhere in daytime, CTD’s Judge Judy was in repeats on four of the five days, but stayed steady at a 6.3.

CTD’s Hot Bench, in reruns on three of the five days, eased 5% to a 2.1. Warner Bros.’ People’s Court climbed 7% to a new season-high 1.6.

Warner Bros.’ Judge Mathis, Fox’s Divorce Court and Debmar-Mercury’s Caught in Providence all remained at a 1.0, 0.8 and 0.5, respectively.

Among the new gavelers, NBCU’s renewed Judge Jerry, starring Springer, was in repeats on all five days but held steady at a 0.9. Orion/MGM’s Personal Injury Court collected a 20% increase to a 0.6, while Trifecta’s Protection Court broke even at a 0.3 for the 30th straight week.

CTD’s Entertainment Tonight yielded 3% to a 3.0, tying sister show Inside Edition, which skidded 6% to a 3.0 for the category lead. NBCUniversal’s Access Hollywood stood pat at a 1.2, tying Warner Bros.’ unchanged TMZ. Warner Bros.’ Extra gave back 9% to a 1.0. CTD’s DailyMailTV delivered a season-high 0.9 for a fourth straight week.

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Meanwhile, Trifecta’s Celebrity Page stayed at a 0.2 for the 41st consecutive week.

NBCU’s scripted Chicago PD surged 33% to a new season high 1.2. SPT's off-A&E Live PD Police Patrol sped up 22% to a 1.1. Usual crime leader, NBCU’s off-net strip Dateline, declined 17% to a 1.0.

Warner Bros.’ The Big Bang Theory softened 6% to a 3.3. Disney’s Last Man Standing sprinted 5% to a 2.3. Disney's Modern Family was flat at a 1.5. Warner Bros.’ Two and a Half Men moved 7% to a 1.3. Disney’s Family Guy stayed at a 1.2, tying SPT’s The Goldbergs, which grew 9%. Disney’s Black-ish barrelled ahead 10% to a new season-high 1.1, tying SPT’s Seinfeld, which was steady. Warner Bros.’ Mike & Molly moved down 9% to a 1.0 and Warner Bros.’ 2 Broke Girls and Mom both dropped 10% to a 0.9.

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.