Magazines Shine In First Post-Sweep Outing

Coverage of the shocking firing of Today show co-host Matt Lauer for “inappropriate sexual behavior” ignited the syndicated news magazines in the frame ending Dec. 3, the first week following the November sweep.

Entertainment Tonight was the magazine champion, rocketing 22% to a new season high 3.3 live-plus-same-day national Nielsen rating, its strongest performance in 37 weeks.

Inside Edition added 3% to a new season high 3.2, while TMZ, Access Hollywood and Extra all surged to match their highest ratings of the season at 1.5, 1.4 and 1.3, respectively.

The top two newcomers in first run were also winners, leaping by double digits. Rookie leader Daily Mail TV rose 11% to a 1.0 with a 25% gain among women 25-54 and attracted more than 1.4 million viewers per day.

Page Six TV jumped 33%, the most of any major show in syndication, to a 0.8, and also climbed 25% among women 25-54, tying Daily Mail in the demo.

Among talkers, Dr. Phil was far in front for the 65^th straight week, spiking 18% to a 3.3. The category’s only other gainers were true crime strip Crime Watch Daily, which shot up 13% to a 0.9, and The Real, which recovered 14% to a 0.8.

In addition, Steve Harvey’s new Steve was the only talk show in the top five to match its season high, holding steady at a fourth-place 1.4 and growing 17% to a show record 0.7 among women 25-54.

At the very top of the overall chart, the No. 1 show for a 15^th time in 16 weeks was Judge Judy, which eased 3% after its big victory in the sweep, but still led all of syndication with a stellar 7.2.

The week’s top-rated daytime talk shows in the women 25-54 demo were:

• Dr. Phil (1.4, +17% from the week before)
• Ellen DeGeneres (1.2, -8%)
• Live with Kelly and Ryan (1.1, unchanged)
• Wendy Williams (0.9, +13%)
• Maury (0.8, -11%)
• Steve (0.7, +17%), tied with Steve Wilkos (0.7, -13%)

In the household rating rankings that follow, % change is from the previous week; * indicates a new season-high rating; ** indicates a new season low; NC indicates no change from the previous week; NA mean not applicable.

TALK SHOWS

1. Dr. Phil (CTD) 3.3 +18%

2. Ellen DeGeneres (WBDTD) 2.5 -4%

3. Live with Kelly and Ryan (Disney-ABC) 2.3 -4%

4. Steve (NBCU) 1.4  NC

4. Maury (NBCU) 1.4 NC

6. Wendy Williams (Debmar-Mercury) 1.3 NC

7. Rachael Ray (CTD) 1.2 -8%

8. Steve Wilkos (NBCU) 1.1 -8%

8. Jerry Springer (NBCU) 1.1 -8%

8. Dr. Oz (Sony) 1.1 -8%

11. Crime Watch Daily with Chris Hansen (WBDTD) 0.9 +13%

11. Harry (NBCU) 0.9 NC

13. The Real (WBDTD) 0.8 +14%

13. The Doctors (CTD) 0.8 NC

FIRST-RUN ROOKIE SHOWS

1. Daily Mail TV (CTD) 1.0 +11%

2. Page Six TV (20th Television) 0.8 +33%

3. Funny You Should Ask (Entertainment Studios) 0.5 NC

4. Pickler & Ben (Disney-ABC) 0.3 NC

COURT SHOWS

1. Judge Judy (CTD) 7.2 -3%

2. Hot Bench (CTD) 2.4 -4%

3. People’s Court (WBDTD) 1.6 NC

4. Judge Mathis (WBDTD) 1.2 +20%

5. Divorce Court (Twentieth) 0.9 NC

6. Judge Faith (Trifecta) 0.6 NC

GAME SHOWS

1. Family Feud (Debmar-Mercury/FMNA) 6.7 +18%

2. Jeopardy (CTD) 6.4 +12%

3. Wheel of Fortune (CTD) 6.3 +13%

4. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (Disney-ABC) 1.7 NC

INTERNET VIDEO

1. Right This Minute (Disney-ABC) 1.5 +7%

OFF-NET TRUE CRIME

1. Dateline M-F (NBCU) 1.3 +8%

MAGAZINE SHOWS

1. Entertainment Tonight (CTD) 3.3* +22%

2. Inside Edition (CTD) 3.2 +3%

3. TMZ (WBDTD) 1.5 +25%

4. Access Hollywood (NBCU) 1.4 +8%

5. Extra (WBDTD) 1.3 +8%

6. Celebrity Page (Trifecta) 0.3 NC

OFF-NET SITCOMS

1. Big Bang Theory (WBDTD) 5.0 +14%

2. Modern Family (Twentieth) 2.5 +19%

3. Family Guy (Twentieth) 1.7 +13%

4. Two and a Half Men (WBDTD) 1.6** -24%

4. The Goldbergs (Sony) 1.6** -6%

4. Last Man Standing (Twentieth) 1.6 +7%

4. Mike and Molly (WBDTD) 1.6* +7%

8. Two Broke Girls (WBDTD) 1.3 +8%

9. Seinfeld (Sony) 1.1 NC

9. The Cleveland Show (Twentieth) 1.1 NC

OFF-NET WEEKLY HOURS

1. Dateline Weekly (NBCU) 3.6 +16%

2. Law & Order: SVU (NBCU) 3.3 +22%

3. Blue Bloods (CTD) 1.8 +20%

4. Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBCU) 1.7 +31%

4. American Ninja Warrior (NBCU) 1.7 +21%

6. CSI Miami (CTD) 1.4 +8%