Syndication Ratings: 'Feud' Ties 'Judy' for Overall Lead

Judge Judy and Family Feudtied to lead syndication in the week ended Dec. 11.

CBS Television Distribution’s court leader, Judge Judy, dipped 1% for the week to a 7.2 live plus same day household rating average, according to Nielsen, to tie Debmar-Mercury’s FamilyFeud, which added 1% to hit a new season high.

Judy has been in sole possession of first place for the past four months, while Feud, starring Steve Harvey, has led the games for the past 33 weeks. Season to date, Judy leads all syndies with a 7.0 household average, while Feud is in second place overall at a 6.6. 

As for the rest of the games, CTD’s Wheel of Fortune was flat for the week at a 6.5. CTD’s Jeopardy! moved up 2% to a new season-high 6.3. Disney-ABC’s Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and Debmar-Mercury’s Celebrity Name Game, which will end its run after completing its third season, both were unchanged at a 1.6 and 1.3, respectively.

Related: 'Celebrity Name Game' to End After This Season

Back in court, CTD’s Hot Bench rose 4% for the week and 14% from last year to a 2.5, despite being in repeats on four of the five days. HotBench matched its season high and ranked fourth in daytime overall, behind only Judy, CTD’s Dr. Phil and Warner Bros.’ Ellen DeGeneres.

Following Hot Bench, Warner Bros.’ People’s Court climbed 6% to a new season-high 1.8. Warner Bros.’ Judge Mathis remained at a 1.3. Twentieth’s Divorce Court was unchanged at a 1.1. Trifecta’s Judge Faith finished 13% higher at a new season-high 0.9.

Disney-ABC’s viral video show RightThisMinute stood pat at a 1.4. 

Turning to talk, Dr. Phil remained the talk leader for the 14th week in a row. At a 3.5, Phil eased 3% for the week but jumped 21% from last year at this time, one of only two talkers to show an annual gain. Phil also led talk among daytime’s key demographic of women 25-54 at a 1.6.

The only other talker to grow for the year was Warner Bros.’ Crime Watch Daily with Chris Hansen. Crime Watch gave back 9% from the previous week’s season-high 1.1 to a 1.0, but still improved 25% from last year at this time.

Ellen, in its third week of 12 days of giveaways, came in second in talk for the fourth straight week, with an unchanged 2.6.

Disney-ABC’s Live with Kelly, in third place,stayed at a 2.4. 

NBCUniversal’s Steve Harvey recovered 13% to a 1.7. NBCU’s Maury added 7% to a 1.6. Debmar-Mercury’s Wendy Williams, NBCU’s Steve Wilkos and CTD’s Rachael Ray all remained at a 1.5, 1.4 and 1.4, respectively. NBCU’s Jerry Springer gained 8% to a 1.3. 

NBCUniversal’s newcomer Harry, starring Harry Connick Jr.,held steady at a 1.2 in its 13th week on the air, tying Sony Pictures Television’s Dr. Oz.

CTD’s The Doctors and The Real both stood pat at a 0.9.

CTD’s Entertainment Tonight led the magazines for the 19th consecutive week with a steady 3.4, maintaining its season high and growing 10% for the year, which was the biggest annual increase in the category. 

CTD’s Inside Edition was flat at a 3.1. Warner Bros.’ TMZ perked up 6% to a new season-high 1.7. NBCU’s Access Hollywood was unchanged at a 1.4, although down 18% from last year at this time, the biggest annual decline of any magazine in the top six. Warmer Bros.’ Extra held steady at a 1.3. CTD’s The Insider backed off 8% to a 1.2, after a 30% jump the prior week. 

Twentieth’s Dish Nation stayed at a 0.8 for a sixth consecutive week. Trifecta’s Celebrity Page logged its usual 0.3 for the 37th week in a row.

Warner Bros.’ off-net sitcom leader The Big Bang Theory fell 3% to a 5.6. Twentieth’s ModernFamily and Warner Bros.’ Two and a Half Men remained at a 2.9 and 2.6, respectively. Twentieth’s rookie Last Man Standing rose 5% to a new season-high 2.0, surpassing Twentieth’s Family Guy, which tied Warner Bros.’ Mike and Molly at a steady 1.9. Warner Bros.’ 2 Broke Girls delivered a stable 1.8. Twentieth’s How I Met Your Mother fell 7% to a 1.3, tying SPT’s Seinfeld, which was flat. Twentieth’s The Cleveland Show eroded 8% to a new season-low 1.2.

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.