‘Ellen’ Continues Its Winning Ways

Determined to go out on a high note, Ellen DeGeneres was the only top 3 talk show moving up in the session ending Oct. 31, darting ahead 11% to match its strongest ratings of the year while attracting an additional 149,000 daily viewers from the previous week for an average crowd of 1,472,000. Over the past 13 weeks the long-running daytime favorite has had the most improved ratings in talk, surging 150% to a 1.0 live-plus-same-day national Nielsen rating in its 19^th and final season.

Live with Kelly and Ryan and Dr. Phil, the only two talkers ahead of Ellen, remained deadlocked at a first-place 1.7 for a third straight week.

Kelly Clarkson was best of the rest, preserving a season-high 0.9.

Closely watched Wendy Williams, in its second week without its eponymous host, was unchanged at a 0.8 and landed in a tie with Rachael Ray and conflict talker Maury.

Among the newest talk show entries, sophomore Drew Barrymore held its ground at a 0.5, tying newcomer Nick Cannon, which rose 25% to 0.5, a new series high.

Judge Judy continued to show rivals no mercy, meting out a three-week high 4.7 to crush the court shows.

In access, where shows in some markets were battling the first three games of the World Series, Entertainment Tonight was the sole magazine among the top five in the plus column, climbing 5% to a 2.1.

Game show leader Jeopardy slipped 2% to a 5.5 in its second full week without super-contestant Matt Amodio, but was still No. 1 in syndication overall.

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

• Live with Kelly and Ryan (0.7, +17% from the week before)
• Dr. Phil (0.6, unchanged)
• Ellen DeGeneres (0.4, unchanged), tied with Kelly Clarkson (0.4, unchanged)

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

Dr. Phil (CMV) 1.7 NC

Live with Kelly and Ryan (Disney-ABC) 1.7 NC

Ellen DeGeneres (WBDTD) 1.0 +11%

The Kelly Clarkson Show (NBCU) 0.9 NC

Maury (NBCU) 0.8 +14%

Wendy Williams (Debmar-Mercury) 0.8 NC

Rachael Ray (CMV) 0.8 +14%

Steve Wilkos (NBCU) 0.6 +20%

Dr. Oz (Sony) 0.6 NC

Tamron Hall (Disney-ABC) 0.6 NC

Drew Barrymore (CMV) 0.5 NC

Nick Cannon (CMV) 0.5 +25%

The Real (WBDTD) 0.3 +50%

Jerry Springer (NBCU) 0.3 NC

The Doctors (CMV) 0.2 NC

COURT SHOWS

Judge Judy (CMV) 4.7 +2%

Hot Bench(CMV) 1.5 NC

People’s Court (WBDTD) 0.8 NC

Judge Mathis (WBDTD) 0.6 NC

Divorce Court (Fox First Run) 0.5 +25%

Judge Jerry (NBCU) 0.4 NC

Relative Justice (EW Media Group) 0.4 +33%

GAME SHOWS

Jeopardy (CMV) 5.5 -2%

Wheel of Fortune (CMV) 5.0 NC

Family Feud (Debmar-Mercury/FMNA) 5.2 -2%

You Bet Your Life (Fox First Run) 0.7 NC

25 Words or Less (Fox First Run) 0.7 NC

Funny You Should Ask(Entertainment Studios) 0.4 +33%

MAGAZINE SHOWS

Inside Edition (CMV) 2.2 NC

Entertainment Tonight (CMV) 2.1 +5%

Access Hollywood (NBCU) 0.8 NC

TMZ (WBDTD) 0.6 -14%

Extra (WBDTD) 0.6 NC

Daily Mail TV (CMV) 0.5 NC

Dish Nation (Fox First Run) 0.3 +50%

OFF-NET SITCOMS

Big Bang Theory (WBDTD) 1.9** -5%

Last Man Standing (Disney-ABC) 1.3 +8%

The Goldbergs(Sony) 0.9 +13%

Young Sheldon (WBDTD) 0.8 NC

Modern Family (Disney-ABC) 0.8 +14%

Two and a Half Men (WBDTD) 0.8 +14%

Family Guy (Disney-ABC) 0.8 +14%

Seinfeld (Sony) 0.7 NC

Two Broke Girls (WBDTD) 0.6 +20%

Black-ish (Disney-ABC) 0.5 NC

Mom (WBDTD) 0.5 +25%

OFF-NET WEEKLY HOURS

Dateline Weekly (NBCU) 3.7 -5%

Chicago Fire (NBCU) 1.1 NC

Monk (NBCU) 0.9 -10%

Law & Order: SVU (NBCU) 0.9 NC

Chicago P.D. (NBCU) 0.9 -25%

Bull (CMV) 0.7 -22%

Castle (Disney-ABC) 0.7 NC