Big Ratings Week For Talkers Old And New

Dr. Phil (CTD) extended its lead and solidified its standing as the No. 1 talk show, while Rachael Ray (CTD) opened its seventh season with the biggest increase of all talkers, and newest chat entry Trisha (NBCU), debuted in the week ending Sept. 23.

Talk Shows

Phil made it two wins in two weeks so far this season, easily taking the top talk show title for the second straight frame with a 19 week-to-week surge to a 3.1, its highest rating in 29 weeks.

Phil, which was also the talk leader for all of last season — assuming the crown long held by Oprah Winfrey — averaged nearly 400,000 more viewers per show than its closest talk competitor.

Live with Kelly and Michael (Disney-ABC) grew 8% to a 2.6 and moved up to second place after finishing in a third-place tie in the prior week. Ellen (WBDTD) dipped 4% to a 2.4, although it was still up 4% from last year at this time. Dr. Oz (Sony) averaged a 2.3, which was down 4% week to week and down 23% from last year at this time.

Conflict talker Maury (NBCU) added 15% to a 2.3 with its season premiere, while Ray had the biggest week to week and year to year increases of any talker, leaping 23% to a 1.6 with it’s the show’s seventh season premiere. Ray opened the new season with an appearance by First Lady Michelle Obama and its premiere week was up 7% from last year.

Among the closely watched rookie crop, Katie (Disney-ABC) continued to set the pace, despite easing 10% from its big premiere week to a 1.8. Steve Harvey (NBCU) was hot, gaining 8%, the most of any newcomer, to a new series high 1.3 in its third week.

Jeff Probst (CTD) held at a 0.7, tying The Ricki Lake Show (Twentieth), which had its rating reprocessed in the previous session and showed up on the chart at a 0.7. Trisha premiered at a 0.4 on mostly lower rated independent and CW stations.

Court Shows

Elsewhere in daytime, Judge Judy (CTD), the top court show by a mile, jumped 6% from the week before to a 6.7 and was the highest-rated show overall in first-run syndication. Judge Joe Brown (CTD) and People’s Court (WBDTD) were steady at 2.4 and 1.8, respectively, while Judge Mathis (WBDTD) sank 7% to a 1.4, landing in a tie with Judge Alex (Twentieth), which was flat at a 1.4.

Game Shows

In game show action, Wheel of Fortune (CTD) began its 30^th season with a 6.3, which was up 7% from the week before, although down 5% from last year at this time. Jeopardy (CTD) kicked off its 29^th season with a 5.6, up 17% week to week and up 4% from last year. Family Feud (Debmar-Mercury) added 3% to a 4.0; Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (Disney-ABC) rose 10% to a 2.2; and newcomer Baggage (NBCU) debuted at a 1.1.

Magazine Shows

Magazines were all steady to higher. Leader Entertainment Tonight (CTD) climbed 9% week to week to a 3.6; Inside Edition (CTD) inched up 4% to a 2.9; TMZ (WBDTD), Access Hollywood (NBCU) and Extra (WBDTD) all held firm at 1.9, 1.7 and 1.5, respectively; The Insider (CTD) improved 8% to a 1.4; and newbie Dish Nation (Twentieth) was flat in its second week at a 0.8.

Off-Net Sitcoms

In off-net syndication, sitcom Big Bang Theory (WBDTD) picked up 8% from the previous frame to a chart-topping 7.0; Two and a Half Men (WBDTD), Family Guy (Twentieth) and How I Met Your Mother (Twentieth) were all unchanged at 4.7, 3.7 and 2.5, respectively.

Off-Net Weekly Hours

Among off-net weekly hours, Monk (NBCU) continued to master the category with an 8% boost from the week before to a 2.8; Law & Order (NBCU)  saw a 13% increase to a 2.7; Criminal Minds (CTD) tacked on 4% to a 2.4; while Cold Case (WBDTD) cooled off 8% to a 2.3.