Good First Impressions By ‘Kelly’ And ‘Tamron’

The two most eagerly anticipated talk shows in years — Kelly Clarkson and Tamron Hall — both got off to flying starts with strong Sept. 9 debuts.

Clarkson averaged an impressive 1.9 rating/6 share in the weighted metered markets for its premiere, which was syndication’s highest opener for a nationally cleared first-run show in seven years. The new strip also took its year-ago time periods up a spectacular 73% on average.

Meanwhile, Hall scored a nifty 1.4/5, which was the best bow for a talker in five years other than Clarkson’s.

Moreover, Tamron trounced its competition in top market New York, shooting up 44% from its year-ago time period average to a first-place 2.3/9, and surged 71% from year ago in No. 2 market Los Angeles.

Turning to the national ratings for the pre-Labor Day session ending Sept.1, Dr. Phil continued to show the way in talk for a noteworthy 156^th straight week. Even better, Phil was the only taker to clock a double-digit increase with a 15% surge to a nine-week high 2.3 live-plus-same-day national Nielsen rating.

Live with Kelly and Ryan was on hiatus, but nevertheless was the second-highest talker for the 27^th week in a row, climbing 6% to a 1.9 despite airing mainly repackaged episodes.

At the top of the chart, full-season champ Judge Judy was the No. 1 show for a fifth straight week, pulling away from the field with a 12-week high 6.4 and shooting up 5% even though it was partly in reruns.

Most other programs were flat to down in the lightly viewed late summer stanza. For example, all of the top three game shows lost ground. Family Feud fell 3% to a 5.8; Wheel of Fortune faded 2% to a 4.8; and Jeopardy slipped 8% to a 4.4.

In tryout news, the third week of the three-week Jerry O’ trial run aired on the Fox O&Os in Wendy Williams time periods. The combination of repeats of Williams and Jerry O’ originals averaged an unchanged 0.9.

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

• Dr. Phil (0.9, +13% from the week before)
• Live with Kelly and Ryan (0.8, unchanged)
• Maury (0.7, unchanged)
• Ellen DeGeneres (0.5, -17%), tied with Steve Wilkos (0.5, -17%)

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) 2.3 +15%

Live with Kelly and Ryan (Disney-ABC) 1.9 +6%

Ellen DeGeneres (WBDTD) 1.4 NC

Maury (NBCU) 1.2 -8%

Rachael Ray (CTD) 1.0 NC

Steve Wilkos (NBCU) 1.0 NC

Steve (NBCU) 0.9 -10%

Wendy Williams (Debmar-Mercury) 0.9 NC

Dr. Oz (Sony) 0.9 NC

Face the Truth (CTD) 0.6 NC

The Real (WBDTD) 0.5 NC

The Doctors (CTD) 0.4 NC

Jerry Springer (NBCU) 0.4 NC

Pickler & Ben (Disney-ABC) 0.3 NC

COURT SHOWS

Judge Judy (CTD) 6.4 +5%

Hot Bench(CTD) 2.1 NC

People’s Court (WBDTD) 1.3 NC

Judge Mathis (WBDTD) 0.9 NC

Divorce Court (20th Television) 0.7 NC

Caught in Providence (Debmar-Mercury) 0.5 NC

GAME SHOWS

Family Feud (Debmar-Mercury/FMNA) 5.8 -3%

Wheel of Fortune (CTD) 4.8 -2%

Jeopardy (CTD) 4.4** -8%

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (Disney-ABC) 1.4 NC

Funny You Should Ask(Entertainment Studios) 0.5 NC

INTERNET VIDEO

Right This Minute (Disney-ABC) 1.1 -8%

OFF-NET TRUE CRIME

Dateline M-F (NBCU) 1.2 +9%

Live PD: Police Patrol (Sony) 0.9 -10%

True Crime Files (20th Television) 0.3 NC

SCRIPTED OFF-NET POLICE PROCEDURAL

Chicago P.D. (NBCU) 0.8 -11%

MAGAZINE SHOWS

Inside Edition (CTD) 2.6 +4%

Entertainment Tonight (CTD) 2.4 NC

TMZ (WBDTD) 1.1 NC

Access (NBCU) 1.0 -9%

Extra (WBDTD) 0.9 -10%

Daily Mail TV (CTD) 0.9 NC

Page Six TV(20th Television) 0.5 +25%

Celebrity Page (Trifecta) 0.2 NC

OFF-NET SITCOMS

Big Bang Theory (WBDTD) 3.6 -5%

Last Man Standing (20th Television) 2.1 NC

Modern Family (20th Television) 1.6 NC

Two and a Half Men (WBDTD) 1.2 -8%

The Goldbergs(Sony) 1.2 -8%

Family Guy (20th Television) 1.1** -8%

Black-ish (Disney-ABC) 1.1 +10%

Mike and Molly (WBDTD) 1.0 NC

Seinfeld (Sony) 1.0 NC

Two Broke Girls (WBDTD) 0.9 NC

OFF-NET WEEKLY HOURS

Dateline Weekly (NBCU) 3.0 +25%

NCIS: New Orleans (CTD) 1.3 -7%

Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBCU) 1.2 -8%

Chicago P.D. (NBCU) 1.2 +9%

Castle (Disney-ABC) 1.1 +10%

American Ninja Warrior (NBCU) 1.1 +22%