First-Run Syndies Hang In There

Ratings for the big off-net sitcoms were no laughing matter in the session ending Oct. 27. All of the top three were down, with two of them slipping to their lowest numbers ever.

Leader Big Bang Theory lost 13% from its prior orbit to a new all-time low 2.7 live-plus-same-day national Nielsen rating. Second-place Last Man Standing fell 5% to a 1.9, and Modern Family faded 7% to a new series low 1.4.

By comparison, most of first-run syndication held up well, even though some daytime shows were preempted on various dates for fire coverage in California markets. In addition, some access programs were bumped by the World Series on Oct. 22, 23 and 25.

Among talk shows, the clear standout was Dr. Phil, which jumped 9% to a new season-high 2.5 and led the category for the 164^th week in a row. This was the good doctor’s strongest performance since the week ending May 26.

Live with Kelly and Ryan held steady at a 2.0 and claimed second place for the 35^th straight week. Ellen DeGeneres was best of the rest, declining 5% to a 1.8.

At the top of the entire syndication chart, household ratings gold standard Judge Judy remained firmly in command for the 13^th straight session, climbing 2% to a three-week high 6.4.

On the magazine rack, Entertainment Tonight rose 8% to a new season-high 2.8 and tied unchanged sister show Inside Edition for first place in the genre.

Turning to the most closely followed high-profile rookie strips, leader The Kelly Clarkson Show and Tamron Hall both held their own with very respectable Nielsens in only their seventh stanza.

Clarkson hung tough at a 1.4 despite preemptions, capturing over 1.8 million viewers. Hall held its season-high 1.0 with more than 1.2 million viewers each day, while Mel Robbins, the third talk show newcomer, was unchanged at a 0.4, vacuuming up 522,000 daily viewers.

Among the freshmen court shows, Judge Jerry continued to have a hot gavel with a first-place 0.9 for three weeks in a row, and a sharp 25% increase among women 25-54. Pleading nolo contendere were fellow new legal programs Personal Injury Court and Protection Court at 0.5 and 0.3, respectively.

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

• Dr. Phil (1.0, unchanged from the week before)
• Live with Kelly and Ryan (0.9, -10%)
• Ellen DeGeneres (0.8, unchanged)
• Kelly Clarkson (0.6, unchanged), tied with Maury (0.6, +20%) and Wendy Williams (0.6, -14%)
• Steve Wilkos (0.5, 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 mean not applicable.

TALK SHOWS

Dr. Phil (CTD) 2.5* +8%

Live with Kelly and Ryan (Disney-ABC) 2.0 NC

Ellen DeGeneres (WBDTD) 1.8 -5%

Wendy Williams (Debmar-Mercury) 1.3 NC

Maury (NBCU) 1.1 NC

Rachael Ray (CTD) 1.0 NC

Steve Wilkos (NBCU) 0.9 NC

Dr. Oz (Sony) 0.9 +13%

The Real (WBDTD) 0.6 NC

The Doctors (CTD) 0.5 NC

Jerry Springer (NBCU) 0.4* +33%

FIRST-RUN ROOKIES

The Kelly Clarkson Show (NBCU) 1.4 NC

Tamron Hall (Disney-ABC) 1.0 NC

Judge Jerry (NBCU) 0.9 NC

25 Words or Less (CTD) 0.9 NC

America Says (Sony) 0.6 NC

Personal Injury Court (MGM) 0.5 NC

Mel Robbins (Sony) 0.4 NC

Protection Court (Trifecta) 0.3 NC

COURT SHOWS

Judge Judy (CTD) 6.4 +2%

Hot Bench(CTD) 2.0 -5%

People’s Court (WBDTD) 1.3 +8%

Judge Mathis (WBDTD) 0.9 NC

Divorce Court (20th Television) 0.7 NC

Caught in Providence (Debmar-Mercury) 0.5 NC

GAME SHOWS

Jeopardy (CTD) 6.0* +2%

Wheel of Fortune (CTD) 5.8* +2%

Family Feud (Debmar-Mercury/FMNA) 5.7 -2%

Funny You Should Ask(Entertainment Studios) 0.5 NC

OFF-NET CRIME

Dateline M-F (NBCU) 1.0** -17%

Live PD: Police Patrol (Sony) 1.0 NC

Chicago P.D. (NBCU) 0.7 NC

MAGAZINE SHOWS

Inside Edition (CTD) 2.8 NC

Entertainment Tonight (CTD) 2.8* +8%

Access Hollywood (NBCU) 1.5 NC

TMZ (WBDTD) 1.0 -9%

Extra (WBDTD) 0.8** -20%

Daily Mail TV (CTD) 0.8 NC

Celebrity Page (Trifecta) 0.2 NC

OFF-NET SITCOMS

Big Bang Theory (WBDTD) 2.7** -13%

Last Man Standing (20th Television) 1.9 -5%

Modern Family (20th Television) 1.4** -7%

Two and a Half Men (WBDTD) 1.3 NC

The Goldbergs(Sony) 1.2 NC

Family Guy (20th Television) 1.1 NC

Mike and Molly (WBDTD) 0.9 NC

Mom (WBDTD) 0.9 NC

Seinfeld (Sony) 0.9 NC

Black-ish (Disney-ABC) 0.8 -11%

OFF-NET WEEKLY HOURS

Dateline Weekly (NBCU) 3.0 NC

Law & Order: SVU (NBCU) 1.3 NC

NCIS: New Orleans (CTD) 1.2** -14%

Chicago P.D. (NBCU) 1.0 NC

Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBCU) 1.0 NC

Castle (Disney-ABC) 1.0** -9%