Syndication Ratings: 'Feud,' 'Jeopardy!' Fight for Game Honors

Deep into November sweeps, it's a battle at the top of both games and magazines.

Debmar-Mercury’s Family Feud and CBS Television Distribution’sJeopardy! both inched up 1% to remain tied at a 6.8 live plus same day household rating, according to Nielsen, for a second straight week in the week ended Nov. 19, which included the third week of the November sweep.

Jeopardy! saw strong ratings over the prior two weeks for its annual Tournament of Champions, which crowned Buzzy Cohen the winner, Alan Lin coming in second and New York bartender Austin Rogers coming in third.

CTD’sWheel of Fortuneremained in third place for the sixth week in a row at an unchanged 6.4.

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Far back, Disney-ABC’s Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, which airs mostly in daytime slots, remained at a 1.7 for the fourth time in five weeks.

Disney-ABC’s viral video show RightThisMinute was flat at a 1.5, also for the fourth time in five weeks, while NBCU’s off-net true crime strip Dateline rose 8% to a 1.4.

Also mostly in access, CTD’sEntertainment TonightandInside Edition, which saw key upgrades in big markets this season,both fell back 3% to a 3.0 to remain tied for first place among the magazines. Warner Bros’TMZadded 7% to a 1.5, equalling its season high. NBCU’sAccessHollywoodand Warner Bros.’Extraboth matched their season highs, holding steady at a 1.4 and 1.3, respectively. Trifecta’sCelebrity Pagewas unchanged at a 0.3.

In daytime, some shows were joined in progress or preempted on Nov. 15 by President Donald Trump’s press conference aired during his trip to Asia.

CTD’s Dr. Phil eased 5% to a 3.7 after hitting a nine-month high in the prior week. Still, Phil was the only talker to improve over last year, adding 3% and leading the category for the 63rd week in a row. Among daytime’s key demographic of women 25-54, Phil also led with a 1.5.

Back in households, Warner Bros.’ Ellen DeGeneres, Disney-ABC’s Live With Kelly and Ryan, NBCUniversal’s Maury, NBCU’s Steve and Debmar-Mercury’s Wendy Williams all were steady at a 2.4, 2.3, 1.5, 1.4 and 1.4, respectively.

CTD’s Rachael Ray rallied 8% to a 1.3. NBCU’s conflict talker Jerry Springer stood pat at a 1.2, tying Sony Pictures Television’s Dr. Oz, which stayed at a 1.2. NBCU’s Steve Wilkos weakened 8% to a 1.1 and tumbled 21% from last year at this time, the most of any talk show. NBCU’s Harry and Warner Bros.’ Crime Watch Daily with Chris Hansen both gave back 10% to a 0.9. CTD’s The Doctors flatlined for an 11th consecutive week at a 0.8, tying Warner Bros.’ The Real.

CTD’s Daily Mail TV remained the first-run rookie leader with a steady 1.0. Twentieth’s Page Six TV dropped 13% to a 0.7. Among women 25-54, the two news magazine strips remained tied at a 0.5.

Entertainment Studios’ Funny You Should Ask was unchanged at a 0.5 in households, but declined 33% to a 0.2 among women 25-54. Disney-ABC’s Pickler & Ben, produced by Scripps, remained at a 0.3 for the ninth straight week and dropped 50% to a 0.1 in the key demo.

CTD’s Judge Judy maintained its 10-month high 7.6, which it hit in the prior week, to lead all of syndication for the 13th time in 14 weeks. Judy was the sole court show to improve over last year, growing 6%.

CTD’s Hot Bench slipped 4% to a 2.5, but still ranked as third-highest show in daytime behind Judy and Phil for the 21st time in 22 weeks.

Warner Bros.’ People’s Court and Judge Mathis both were unchanged at a 1.7 and 1.2, respectively. Twentieth’s Divorce Court slumped 10% to a 0.9. Trifecta’s Judge Faith was flat at a 0.6 for a fifth straight week.

Warner Bros.’ The Big Bang Theory fell 4% to lead the off-net sitcoms at a 5.2. Twentieth’s Modern Family finished 4% higher at a new season-high 2.6, although it was still down 13% from last year. All of the other off-net sitcoms were unchanged, with Warner Bros.’ Two and Half Men remaining at a 2.1, SPT’s newcomer The Goldbergs, Twentieth’s Family Guy, Twentieth’s Last Man Standing, Warner Bros.’ Mike & Molly, Warner Bros.’ 2 Broke Girls, Twentieth’s The Cleveland Show and SPT’s Seinfeld all were flat at a 1.8, 1.7, 1.6, 1.5, 1.2, 1.1 and 1.1, respectively.

Warner Bros.’ off-net rookie Mom was on par with the prior week’s 0.9, while CTD’s The Game played at a 0.4 for the 10th straight week.


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.