Christmas Ratings Cheer For ‘Live With Kelly And Ryan’

Christmas week was a joyous occasion for Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest as Live with Kelly and Ryan celebrated its 31^st consecutive first-place finish in the talk show race, surging to a new season high in the session ending Dec. 25. Unwrapping a holiday-themed blowout, Live led the yak pack by its widest margin in two years, with a 6% weekly leap and a 20% spike over the previous three weeks to a 1.8 live-plus-same-day national Nielsen rating.

However, many other big syndies saw lumps of coal in their Nielsen stockings thanks to traditionally low holiday viewing levels and a slew of preemptions for Jan. 6 Capitol riot hearing coverage on Dec. 19 and President Joe Biden’s joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that was later followed by Zelensky’s speech to Congress on Dec. 21.

For example, Dr. Phil fell 13% to a 1.3, Drew Barrymore backed off 11% to a 0.8 and Rachel Ray retreated 13% to a 0.7. However, compared to the same week last year, Kelly Clarkson climbed 11% to a 1.0, Barrymore barreled ahead 60% and Tamron Hall harvested a 17% spurt to a 0.7.

Among game shows, newcomer Pictionary had its best week yet, picking up 20% to a new season high 0.6.

The two top-rated talk show rookies, Jennifer Hudson and Sherri, also scored 0.6s after previously losing part of their lineups and being retitled during the World Cup.

Family Feud also notched a new season high, advancing 6% to a 5.1, while heading south were leaders Jeopardy, which stumbled 5% to a 5.5; and Wheel of Fortune, which skidded 4% to a 5.2.

While none of the magazines moved up in the weekly household ratings, the most improved compared to last year at this time was Entertainment Tonight, which grew 22% to a 2.2. Extra had a hot holiday in the key demo, forging ahead 50% among women 25-54.

The top talk shows for the week among women 25-54 were:

• Live with Kelly and Ryan (0.7, unchanged from the week before)
• Dr. Phil (0.4, -20%) and Sherri (0.4, NA)

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 means not applicable.

TALK SHOWS

Live with Kelly and Ryan (Disney-ABC) 1.8* +6%

Dr. Phil (CMV) 1.3 -13%

The Kelly Clarkson Show (NBCU) 1.0 NC

Drew Barrymore (CMV) 0.8 -11%

Tamron Hall (Disney-ABC) 0.7 NC

Rachael Ray (CMV) 0.7 -13%

Maury (NBCU) 0.5 NC

Steve Wilkos (NBCU) 0.5 NC

Jerry Springer Combo (NBCU) 0.3 NC

FRESHMAN SHOWS

Jennifer Hudson (WBDTD) 0.6 NA

Sherri (CMV) 0.6 NA

Pictionary (CMV) 0.6* +20%

iCrime with Elizabeth Vargas (Trifecta) 0.5 NA

Karamo (NBCU) 0.4 NA

We the People with Judge Lauren Lake (CF Entertainment) 0.3 NC

COURT SHOWS

Judge Judy (CMV) 4.2 -2%

Hot Bench(CMV) 1.2 NC

People’s Court (WBDTD) 0.8 +14%

Judge Mathis (WBDTD) 0.6 NC

Divorce Court (Fox First Run) 0.5 NA

Relative Justice (EW Media Group) 0.4 +33%

GAME SHOWS

Jeopardy (CMV) 5.5 -5%

Wheel of Fortune (CMV) 5.2 -4%

Family Feud (Debmar-Mercury/FMNA) 5.1* +6%

25 Words or Less (Fox First Run) 0.8 NA

You Bet Your Life (Fox First Run) 0.7 NA

Funny You Should Ask(Entertainment Studios) 0.3 NC

MAGAZINE SHOWS

Inside Edition (CMV) 2.3 -4%

Entertainment Tonight (CMV) 2.2 NC

Access Hollywood (NBCU) 0.8 NC

TMZ (Fox First Run) 0.7 NA

Extra (WBDTD) 0.6 NC

Dish Nation (Fox First Run) 0.2 NA

OFF-NET SITCOMS

Big Bang Theory (WBDTD) 2.0 NC

Last Man Standing (Disney-ABC) 1.2* +9%

Young Sheldon (WBDTD) 0.8 +14%

Modern Family (Disney-ABC) 0.8 +14%

Two and a Half Men (WBDTD) 0.7 NC

The Goldbergs(Sony) 0.7 +17%

Family Guy (Disney-ABC) 0.6 +20%

Seinfeld (Sony) 0.6 NC

The Neighborhood (CMV) 0.6 NC

American Housewife (Disney-ABC) 0.4 +33%

Black-ish (Disney-ABC) 0.4 NC

Mom (WBDTD) 0.4 +33%

OFF-NET WEEKLY HOURS

Dateline Weekly (NBCU) 3.6 +6%

Law & Order: SVU (NBCU) 1.7 -11%

Chicago Fire (NBCU) 1.2 +20%

Chicago P.D. (NBCU) 1.1 -8%

­Seal Team (CMV) 0.8 +33%

Magnum P.I. (CMV) 0.7 +17%