Syndication Ratings: 'Judge Judy' Leads All Shows as May Sweep Gets Underway

CBS Television Distribution’s Judge Judy led all of syndication in the week ending April 30 as the May sweep got underway.

Judy inched up 3% to a 6.7 live plus same day national household rating, according to Nielsen Media Research, marking the fifth straight week the court champ and Daytime Emmy winner was tops among all syndie strips.

Related: CBS Tops Daytime Emmys

All of the other court shows were even for the week. CTD’s Hot Bench, Warner Bros.’ People’sCourt and Judge Mathis, Twentieth’s Divorce Court and Trifecta’s Judge Faith all leveled off at a 2.2, 1.6, 1.2, 1.0 and 0.8, respectively.

Elsewhere in daytime, CTD’s Dr. Phil led the talkers for the 34th consecutive week, sprinting to the show’s highest ratings in seven weeks at a 3.4, up 3% for the week and 10% since last year, the largest annual increase of any talker.

Phil also led the field among daytime’s key demographic of women 25-54 with a 1.6. Warner Bros.’ Ellen and NBCU’s Maury tied at number two at a 1.1. Disney-ABC’s Live with Kelly, in its final week before Ryan Seacrest was announced as Kelly Ripa’s new cohost, was in third at a 1.0 in the key demo.

Back in households, Ellen held sole possession of the number-two spot behind Phil for the first time since the week of Feb. 6, perking up 5% to a 2.3.

Live with Kelly slipped 5% to a new season-low 2.1. In the first week of overnight ratings for Live with Kelly and Ryan in the following week (ended May 7), the show opened on Monday, May 1, at a 3.1 rating/11 share in households among the 56 metered markets.

Related: Ryan Seacrest Named 'Live With Kelly' Co-Host

The following days’ numbers declined to a 2.6/9, 2.4/9, 2.4/9 and 2.4/8, with a week-long average of 2.6/9, up 18% from the prior week and in first or second place in its time periods in nine of the top-ten markets. Among women 25-54, Live with Kelly and Ryan jumped 22% for the week to a 1.1/9 in the 25 local people meter markets.

On May 8, the first day of Seacrest’s second week, the show averaged a 2.4/9 in the metered markets, down 23% from the first day’s big reveal, but up 9% from the final week’s overnights for Ripa and guest hosts. Among women 25-54 on May 8, the show averaged a 0.9/7 equaling what Live earned in its last week with guest hosts.

Back in the national ratings for the week ending April 30, Maury, NBCU’s Steve Harvey—soon to be Steve and produced out of Los Angelesand Debmar-Mercury’s Wendy Williams all remained at a 1.6, 1.5 and 1.4, respectively. NBCU’s Steve Wilkos rose 8% to a 1.4, tying Wendy, while its other conflict talker, Jerry Springer, remained at a 1.3.

The rest of the category were within three-tenths of a point of each other. CTD’s Rachael Ray fell to a new season-low 1.1, down 8% for the week and off 27% from last year at this time. Sony Pictures Television’s Dr. Oz stayed at its all-time series low 1.1 for a third straight week, tying Rachel and also down 27% from last year. Warner Bros.’ sophomore true-crime series Crime Watch Daily with Chris Hansen eased 10% to a 0.9, tying NBCU’s rookie Harry, which also fell back 10%.

CTD’s The Doctors and Warner Bros.’ The Real both were stable at a 0.8.

Debmar-Mercury’s Family Feud recovered 3% to a 6.5 to lead the games and was second in households to overall syndication leader Judge Judy, although first in first-run among women 25-54 at a 2.9.

CTD’s Wheel of Fortune faded 2% to a 5.9 to tie CTD’s Jeopardy!, which inched up 2%. The hosts of both of the Sony-produced veteran games last week renewed their contracts through 2019-20.

Related: Pat Sajak, Alex Trebek, Vanna White Renew Contracts Through 2019-20 Season

Disney-ABC’s Who Wants to Be a Millionaire broke even at a 1.6 for a fourth straight week, while Debmar-Mercury’s Celebrity Name Game stayed at a 1.2.

Elsewhere, Disney-ABC’s viral video show RightThisMinute stood pat at a 1.3 for a third consecutive week.

The magazines were flat to down. CTD’s magazine leader Entertainment Tonight was steady at a 3.0. CTD’s Inside Edition and Warner Bros.’ TMZ also were even at a 2.7 and 1.5, respectively. NBCU’s Access Hollywood sagged 7% to a 1.3. Warner Bros.’ Extra gave back 8% to a 1.1. CTD’s The Insider was unchanged at a 1.0. Twentieth’s Dish Nation remained at its season-low 0.7 for a second week. Trifecta’s Celebrity Page posted its usual 0.3 for the 17th straight week.

Warner Bros.’ The Big Bang Theory heated up 4% to a 4.9 in households and also tied FamilyFeud among women 25-54 to lead all of syndication at a 2.9. Twentieth’s Modern Family forged ahead 4% to a 2.5. Warner Bros.’ Two and a Half Men fell 4% to a 2.2, tying its series low. Twentieth’s Family Guy grew 6% to a 1.9. Twentieth’s freshman Last Man Standing climbed 6% to a 1.7. Warner Bros.’ Mike & Molly skidded 6% to a new season-low 1.6. Warner Bros.’ 2 Broke Girls softened 7% to a 1.4. Twentieth’s How I Met Your Mother added 9% to a 1.2, tying Twentieth’s The Cleveland Show, which stayed at a 1.2, and SPT’s Seinfeld, which remained at its series-low 1.2 for the sixth week in a row.

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.