Syndication Ratings: 'Live' Stays in Talk Lead

Disney-ABC’s Live with Kelly remained syndication’s top talk draw in the week ended June 26, marking the fourth time in the six weeks since Michael Strahan departed for ABC’s Good Morning America that Live has led the talkers.

Live clocked a 2.6 live plus same day national Nielsen household rating, down 4% from the prior week, even though the show aired taped, repackaged and repeat episodes for the week. Live also led talk among daytime’s key demographic of women 25-54 with a 1.2.

CTD’s Dr. Phil held steady at a 2.5 in households with a full week of repeats.

Warner Bros.’ Ellen DeGeneres, in repeats, dropped to its third new season-low in the past four weeks, eroding 18% for the week to a 1.8.

NBCUniversal’s Steve Harvey came in fourth at a steady 1.7, with NBCU’s Maury coming in right behind, advancing 7% to a 1.6. Debmar-Mercury’s Wendy Williams was in sixth at an unchanged 1.5. NBCU’s Steve Wilkos, Sony Pictures Television’s Dr. Oz, CTD’s Rachael Ray and NBCU’s Jerry Springer all were flat at a 1.3, 1.2, 1.2 and 1.1, respectively. 

CTD’s The Doctors, one of only two talkers to improve in the previous week, gave back 11% for the week to a 0.8, tying Warner Bros.’ The Real, which was flat. NBC’s soon-to-depart Meredith Vieira was unchanged at a 0.7.

In the metered markets, the four-week test of The Jason Show on four Fox stations that began June 6 ended with a 0.5 rating/2 share overall household average, down 29% from its average lead-in and down 38% from its year-ago time periods. 

A second four-week tryout, Top 30, also ended with a 0.5/2 overall household average. Top 30 aired on 18 select Fox, Media General and Sinclair stations and lost 38% of its lead-in and declined 29% from its year-ago time period average.

Back in the national ratings, Warner Bros.’ Crime Watch Daily was in repeats for the week, but held steady at a 0.8 in households and rose 25% among women 25-54 to a 0.5.

Disney-ABC’s FABLife and NBCU’s Crazy Talk, both of which will end their runs after their rookie seasons, were flat at a 0.7 and 0.4 in households and unchanged in the demo at a 0.4 and 0.3, respectively. 

CTD’s Judge Judy led the court shows, even though the program was in reruns for most of the week, jumping 10% to a 6.5 and finishing second on the overall syndication chart behind Debmar-Mercury’s Family Feud.

CTD’s Hot Bench, in repeats on four of the five days, held steady at a 2.4, up 26% from last year at this time, the biggest annual improvement of any syndie strip. Hot Bench remained the fourth-ranked daytime show behind only Judy, Live and Dr. Phil for the eighth week in a row and was only a tenth of a ratings point away from being the third-highest ranked daytime strip.

Warner Bros.’ People’s Court was flat at a 1.8. Warner Bros.’ Judge Mathis picked up 8% to a 1.4. Twentieth’s Divorce Court and Trifecta’s Judge Faith were unchanged at a 1.1 and 0.8, respectively. 

In access, Family Feud led the games for the ninth straight week and topped all of syndication with an 8% bump to a 7.1.

CTD’s Wheel of Fortune rebounded 7% to a 5.9, after dropping to a new season low in the previous session. CTD’s Jeopardy! gained 6% to a 5.7. 

Debmar-Mercury’s Celebrity Name Game stayed at a 1.3, tying Disney-ABC’s Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, which improved 8% for the week to a 1.3 but was still down 19% for the year.

MGM’s viral video show RightThisMinute added 10% for the week to a 1.1, down 27% from last year at this time.

CTD’s Entertainment Tonight led the magazines at a steady 2.9. CTD’s Inside Edition rose 4% to a 2.8. Warner Bros.’ TMZ dropped 14% to a 1.6 after falling to nearly a five-year low in the prior week. NBC’s Access Hollywood also recovered from a season low in the prior week, picking up 15% to a 1.5. Warner Bros.’ Extra and CTD’s The Insider held firm at a 1.3 and 1.0, respectively. 

Twentieth’s Dish Nation remained at its season-low 0.8 for the third week in a row, and Trifecta’s Celebrity Page, which replaced OK! TV in March, remained at a 0.3 for the thirteenth consecutive week.

Warner Bros.’ The Big Bang Theory heated up 4% to a 4.9, after sinking to successive new season-lows in the prior two weeks. Twentieth’s Modern Family was flat at a 2.6. Warner Bros.’ Two and a Half Men moved up 4% to a 2.5. Twentieth’s Family Guy was unchanged at a 2.1. Warner Bros.’ 2 Broke Girls grew 5% to a 2.0. Warner Bros.’ Mike & Molly slumped 11% to a new season-low 1.7, tying SPT’s Seinfeld, which held steady for the week, and Twentieth’s The Cleveland Show, which added 6%. Twentieth’s How I Met Your Mother moved up 7% to a 1.6. Twentieth’s King of the Hill held at a 1.4 for the fourth 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.