‘Jeopardy’ Back On Top Of Syndication

Jeopardy rose 22% to a new season high 6.0 live-plus-same-day national Nielsen rating and led all of syndication for the first time in five months in the session ending Nov. 15, which was the first week after the death of its beloved host Alex Trebek.

The frame was also a strong one for several other top-tier shows. The talk show race ended in a dead heat as Live with Kelly and Ryan rallied 11% to a new season high 2.0 and tied Dr. Phil for first place as the good doctor delivered an 18% increase to a 2.0.

Third-place Ellen DeGeneres was flat at a 1.2. However, both hot sophomores Kelly Clarkson and Tamron Hall scored double-digit improvements, with Clarkson climbing 11% to a 1.0 and Hall right behind, surging 29% in household to a 0.9 and 33% in the advertiser-coveted women 25-54 age group. Both shows matched their best rating of the season.

Wendy Williams was another notable talk winner, leaping 11% to a new season high 1.0 to tie Clarkson.

In courtroom proceedings, Judge Judy equaled its season high, jumping 9% to a 5.9 to overwhelm all of daytime and to come within a tenth of a point to matching Jeopardy’s 6.0 at the top of the household ratings chart.

Hot Bench was the second-highest court behind only Judy, spiking 6% to a 1.7 to tie its season best.

Back in access, the top three magazines all sprinted to new highs for the season, with Entertainment Tonight racing ahead 19% to a 2.5 to tie Inside Edition, which added 14% for the category lead.

Not to be outdone, Access Hollywood notched the biggest percentage gain in the top six, shooting up 22% to a 1.1 in households and 20% in the key women 25-54 demo.

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

• Live with Kelly and Ryan (0.9, unchanged from the week before)
• Dr. Phil (0.7, +17%)
• Ellen DeGeneres (0.6, unchanged)
• Maury (0.5, unchanged)
• Kelly Clarkson (0.4, unchanged), tied with Tamron Hall (0.4, +33%), Steve Wilkos (0.4, unchanged) and Wendy Williams (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 (CTD) 2.0 +18%

Live with Kelly and Ryan (Disney-ABC) 2.0* +11%

Ellen DeGeneres (WBDTD) 1.2 NC

Maury (NBCU) 1.0 +11%

Wendy Williams (Debmar-Mercury) 1.0* +11%

The Kelly Clarkson Show (NBCU) 1.0 +11%

Rachael Ray (CTD) 0.9 +13%

Tamron Hall (Disney-ABC) 0.9 +29%

Steve Wilkos (NBCU) 0.8 -11%

Dr. Oz (Sony) 0.7 +17%

The Real (WBDTD) 0.4 NC

The Doctors (CTD) 0.3 NC

Jerry Springer (NBCU) 0.2 NC

FIRST-RUN ROOKIE

Drew Barrymore (CTD) 0.5 NC

COURT SHOWS

Judge Judy (CTD) 5.9 +9%

Hot Bench(CTD) 1.7 +6%

People’s Court (WBDTD) 1.1 NC

Judge Mathis (WBDTD) 0.8 NC

Judge Jerry (NBCU) 0.7 NC

Divorce Court (20th Television) 0.7 +17%

Protection Court (Trifecta) 0.3 NC

GAME SHOWS

Jeopardy (CTD) 6.0* +22%

Family Feud (Debmar-Mercury/FMNA) 5.6 +6%

Wheel of Fortune (CTD) 5.5* +10%

25 Words or Less (CTD) 0.9 +13%

Funny You Should Ask(Entertainment Studios) 0.4 NC

MAGAZINE SHOWS

Inside Edition (CTD) 2.5* +14%

Entertainment Tonight (CTD) 2.5* +19%

Access Hollywood (NBCU) 1.1* +22%

TMZ (WBDTD) 0.8 NC

Extra (WBDTD) 0.7 NC

Daily Mail TV (CTD) 0.6 NC

Dish Nation (Trifecta) 0.3 NC

Celebrity Page (Trifecta) 0.3 +50%

OFF-NET SITCOMS

Big Bang Theory (WBDTD) 2.7 +8%

Last Man Standing (Disney-ABC) 2.0* +11%

Modern Family (Disney-ABC) 1.2 +9%

Two and a Half Men (WBDTD) 1.1 +10%

The Goldbergs(Sony) 1.0 NC

Family Guy (Disney-ABC) 1.0 +11%

Seinfeld (Sony) 0.9 +13%

Mike and Molly (WBDTD) 0.8 +14%

Black-ish (Disney-ABC) 0.7 NC

Two Broke Girls (WBDTD) 0.7 +17%

Mom (WBDTD) 0.7 NC

OFF-NET WEEKLY HOURS

Dateline Weekly (NBCU) 3.8 +23%

Law & Order: SVU (NBCU) 1.6 +14%

Chicago P.D. (NBCU) 1.3 +8%

Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBCU) 0.9 NC

NCIS (CTD) 0.9 -10%

Monk (NBCU) 0.9 +13