‘Family Feud’ Bounces Back To Top Of Syndication

Syndicated shows got slammed with a tsunami of preemptions in the session ending March 20 thanks to both Round 1 of the annual NAAA basketball tournament and coverage of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s address to the U.S. Congress.

Family Feud fought its way to the top of the chart for the first time in four weeks, even though it fell 5% from the prior frame to a 5.2 live-plus-same-day national Nielsen rating. The previous week’s game show champ, Jeopardy, lost 14% to a second-place 5.0, followed by Wheel of Fortune, which skidded 15% to a 4.5.

Elsewhere in access, Inside Edition eroded 9% to a 2.1 but still narrowly edged the magazines.

Although almost nothing in daytime went up, Live with Kelly and Ryan widened its lead over the talk shows by easing a relatively modest 6% to a first-place 1.6. Live has now been the No. 1 talker — or tied at the top of the closely watched category — 61 times in the past 80 weeks.

While most strips suffered double-digit drops from last year at this time, major upgrade candidate Kelly Clarkson was the only talk show in top 4 to avoid any declines and hold its ground both week to week and year to year.

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

• Live with Kelly and Ryan (0.6, unchanged from the week before)
• Phil (0.5, -17%)
• Maury (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

Live with Kelly and Ryan (Disney-ABC) 1.6 -6%

Dr. Phil (CMV) 1.4 -13%

Ellen DeGeneres (WBDTD) 0.8 -11%

The Kelly Clarkson Show (NBCU) 0.8 NC

Maury (NBCU) 0.7 NC

Wendy Williams (Debmar-Mercury) 0.7 NC

Rachael Ray (CMV) 0.7 NC

Steve Wilkos (NBCU) 0.6 NC

Tamron Hall (Disney-ABC) 0.6 -14%

Drew Barrymore (CMV) 0.5 NC

The Good Dish (Sony) 0.4 NC

Nick Cannon (CMV) 0.4 NC

Jerry Springer (NBCU) 0.3 NC

The Real (WBDTD) 0.3 NC

The Doctors (CMV) 0.2 NC

COURT SHOWS

Judge Judy (CMV) 4.1 -9%

Hot Bench(CMV) 1.5 -6%

People’s Court (WBDTD) 0.8 NC

Judge Mathis (WBDTD) 0.5** -17%

Judge Jerry (NBCU) 0.4 NC

Divorce Court (Fox First Run) 0.4 -20%

Relative Justice (EW Media Group) 0.4 +33%

GAME SHOWS

Family Feud (Debmar-Mercury/FMNA) 5.2 -5%

Jeopardy (CMV) 5.0 -14%

Wheel of Fortune (CMV) 4.5 -15%

You Bet Your Life (Fox First Run) 0.8 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) 2.1 -9%

Entertainment Tonight (CMV) 2.0 -9%

Access Hollywood (NBCU) 0.8 NC

TMZ (Fox First Run) 0.7 NC

Extra (WBDTD) 0.6 NC

Daily Mail TV (CMV) 0.5 NC

Dish Nation (Fox First Run) 0.2 NC

OFF-NET SITCOMS

Big Bang Theory (WBDTD) 2.0 -5%

Last Man Standing (Disney-ABC) 1.3 NC

Young Sheldon (WBDTD) 0.9 NC

Two and a Half Men (WBDTD) 0.8 NC

The Goldbergs(Sony) 0.8 NC

Family Guy (Disney-ABC) 0.8 NC

Modern Family (Disney-ABC) 0.7 -13%

Seinfeld (Sony) 0.7 +17%

Mike and Molly (WBDTD) 0.5 NC

Black-ish (Disney-ABC) 0.5 NC

Mom (WBDTD) 0.5 NC

OFF-NET WEEKLY HOURS

Dateline Weekly (NBCU) 2.5 -7%

Law & Order: SVU (NBCU) 1.5 +15%

Chicago Fire (NBCU) 1.3 NC

Monk (NBCU) 1.0 -9%

Chicago P.D. (NBCU) 1.0 NA

Bull (CNV) 0.9 +29%