Syndication Ratings: 'Jeopardy!' Jumps to Overall Lead

Answer: Game that led all of syndication in the week ended May 3.

Question: What is Jeopardy!?

CBS Television Distribution’s genre leader rebounded 11% to a 7.0 live plus same day national household rating, according to Nielsen Media Research. That jump allowed it to reclaim the game and overall syndication lead from Debmar-Mercury’s Family Feud in the week ended May 3.

Feud, which had been leading the category for the past three weeks, slipped 3% to a second-place 6.9 with Jeopardy! stablemate Wheel of Fortune next, speeding up 5% to a 6.5.

For the upcoming weeks ended May 10 and May 17, Jeopardy! is re-airing its “Greatest of All Time” tournament, featuring James Holzhauer, Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter. The show then returns to originals starting May 18 and will run its annual Teachers Tournament for two weeks from May 25 to June 5.

Related: 'Jeopardy! Greatest of All Time' Tournament to Air in Syndication for First Time

Further back, Entertainment Studios’ Funny You Should Ask replied with a 0.6 for an eighth straight week.

Among the rookie games, Fox’s renewed 25 Words or Less lost 8% to a 1.1, while Sony Pictures Television’s off-GSN America Says stayed at a 0.9.

Also in first-run, Disney’s internet video show RightThisMinute held at a 0.8 for the third week in a row.

Elsewhere in access, magazines were all steady to higher. CTD’s Inside Edition led the genre with an unchanged 2.8. Sister show Entertainment Tonight was right behind, growing 4% to a 2.7. NBCUniversal’s Access Hollywood clocked the largest increases in the category, breaking a tie with Warner Bros.’ TMZ, and climbing 9% to a 1.2 in households and 20% to a 0.6 among daytime’s key demographic of women 25-54.

The rest of the magazines were all even with the prior week. Warner Bros.’ TMZ stayed at a 1.1, while Warner Bros.’ Extra also held at a 1.0. CTD’s DailyMailTV delivered a steady 0.8.

Trifecta’s Celebrity Page remained at a 0.2 for the 44th straight week. 

Ratings for daytime shows continued to suffer due to constant preemptions for pandemic coverage.

Still, CTD’s pair of courts -- Judge Judy and Hot Bench -- led daytime, with Hot Bench scoring a rare second-place finish. Judy, in repeats on three of the five days, inched up 2% to a 6.2 and Hot Bench, which was created by Judge Judy Sheindlin, forged ahead 5% to a 2.2, despite being partially in reruns.

Warner Bros.’ People’s Court slid 6% to a 1.5, while Warner Bros.’ Judge Mathis maintained a 1.0 for a sixth straight week. Fox’s Divorce Court was constant at a 0.8. Debmar-Mercury’s Caught in Providence posted a 0.5 for the sixth consecutive week.

Related: Faith Jenkins is ‘Divorce Court’’s New Judge

Among the rookie courts, NBCU’s Judge Jerry, renewed for season two, gave back 11% to a 0.8 with encore episodes all week. MGM/Orion’s Personal Injury Court and Trifecta’s Protection Court were both unchanged at a 0.5 and 0.3, respectively.

Disney’s Live with Kelly and Ryan stayed atop the talkers for a sixth straight week, even though the show fell back 5% to a 2.1. Among women 25-54, Live also led with a 1.0.

CTD’s Dr. Phil, talk’s season-to-date household leader, added 6% to a second-place 1.9, even though the show was again sapped by news preemptions in large markets.

Warner Bros.’ Ellen DeGeneres was on par with the prior week’s 1.7. NBCU’s Maury eroded 8% to a 1.2. NBCU’s Steve Wilkos and CTD’s Rachael Ray both remained at a 1.1, tying Debmar-Mercury’s Wendy Williams, which perked up 10% to a 1.1. SPT’s Dr. Oz declined 10% to a 0.9. Warner Bros.’ The Real, CTD’s The Doctors and NBCU’s out-of-production syndicated run of Jerry Springer all stood pat at a 0.5, 0.5 and 0.3, respectively.

NBCU’s Kelly Clarkson continued to lead the rookie talkers at a steady 1.1, even though the show’s host has been quarantined at her remote ranch in Montana. Clarkson was in reruns on three of the five days and again faced news preemptions in large markets.

Disney’s Tamron Hall also was battered by preemptions in the biggest markets but held firm at a 0.9.

SPT’s Mel Robbins, which will not return for season two unlike both Clarkson and Hall, remained at a 0.4 for the sixth straight week.

NBCU’s Dateline discovered a 1.1 for a third straight week. SPT’s off-A&E Live PD Police Patrol pulled back 10% to a 0.9, tying NBCU’s scripted Chicago PD, which was unchanged.

Warner Bros.’ The Big Bang Theory and Disney’s Last Man Standing both were steady at a 3.3 and 2.1, respectively. Disney’s Modern Family spiked 7% to a 1.5. Warner Bros.’ Two and a Half Men stayed put at a 1.3. Disney’s Family Guy eased 8% to a 1.1, tying SPT’s The Goldbergs, which stayed at a 1.1. SPT’s Seinfeld shrank 9% to a 1.0, tying Disney’s Black-ish, which held steady for the third week in a row, as well as Warner Bros.’ Mom and Warner Bros.’ Mike & Molly, both of which moved up 11%. 

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.