‘Live’ Inches Out ‘Phil’ For Top Talk Slot

Live with Kelly and Ryan uncorked a 12% increase in a tough week for most of syndication to a 1.9 live-plus-same-day national Nielsen rating and raced to the top of the talkers in the session ending Oct. 4. This marks the third time in four weeks that Live has finished first in the hotly contested genre.

Dr. Phil was right behind at a 1.8, although it eased 5%. The closely watched Ellen DeGeneres Show was unable to improve on its prior week’s 1.2, remaining 29% below last year at this time.

Among other major movers in the category, The Kelly Clarkson Show was crippled by a ton of baseball playoff preemptions, losing its primary runs in numerous markets and did well to give back only 10% to a 0.9. That tied Wendy Williams, which rose 13% in week 2 of its new season.

Judge Judy was comfortably in front of everything in syndication and earned Nielsen’s No. 1 designation in the household ratings for the sixth time in seven weeks, despite dipping 7% to a 5.4.

Also worthy of note, Access Hollywood, TMZ and Extra managed to hold their ground at 1.0, 0.9 and 0.7, respectively, even though they were plastered with preemptions for the NBA and NHL playoffs in addition to the presidential debate.

Inside Edition and Entertainment Tonight had minor losses, but led the magazines at 2.2 and 2.1, respectively.

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

• Live with Kelly and Ryan (0.9, +13%, from the week before)
• Dr. Phil (0.6, -14%)
• Maury (0.5, -17%), tied with Ellen DeGeneres (0.5, unchanged)
• Kelly Clarkson (0.4, unchanged), tied with 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

Live with Kelly and Ryan (Disney-ABC) 1.9 +12%

Dr. Phil (CTD) 1.8 -5%

Ellen DeGeneres (WBDTD) 1.2 NC

Maury (NBCU) 1.0 NC

Wendy Williams (Debmar-Mercury) 0.9 +13%

The Kelly Clarkson Show (NBCU) 0.9 -10%

Steve Wilkos (NBCU) 0.9 NC

Rachael Ray (CTD) 0.8 NC

Tamron Hall (Disney-ABC) 0.7 -13%

Dr. Oz (Sony) 0.6 NC

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 -17%

COURT SHOWS

Judge Judy (CTD) 5.4 -7%

Hot Bench(CTD) 1.6 -6%

People’s Court (WBDTD) 1.1 -8%

Judge Mathis (WBDTD) 0.8 -11%

Judge Jerry (NBCU) 0.8 +14%

Divorce Court (20th Television) 0.6 NC

Protection Court (Trifecta) 0.3 NC

GAME SHOWS

Family Feud (Debmar-Mercury/FMNA) 5.1 -2%

Wheel of Fortune (CTD) 5.0 NC

Jeopardy (CTD) 4.8 -6%

25 Words or Less (CTD) 0.8 NC

Funny You Should Ask(Entertainment Studios) 0.4 NC

MAGAZINE SHOWS

Inside Edition (CTD) 2.2 -4%

Entertainment Tonight (CTD) 2.1 -5%

Access Hollywood (NBCU) 1.0 NC

TMZ (WBDTD) 0.9 NC

Extra (WBDTD) 0.7 NC

Daily Mail TV (CTD) 0.7 NC

Dish Nation (Trifecta) 0.3 NC

Celebrity Page (Trifecta) 0.2 NC

OFF-NET SITCOMS

Big Bang Theory (WBDTD) 2.8 NC

Last Man Standing (Disney-ABC) 1.7 -6%

Modern Family (Disney-ABC) 1.2 NC

Two and a Half Men (WBDTD) 1.0* -9%

The Goldbergs(Sony) 1.0 NC

Family Guy (Disney-ABC) 0.9 -10%

Seinfeld (Sony) 0.9 NC

Mike and Molly (WBDTD) 0.7 NC

Black-ish (Disney-ABC) 0.7 NC

Two Broke Girls (WBDTD) 0.7 NC

Schitt’s Creek (CTD) 0.7 NA

Mom (WBDTD) 0.7 NC

OFF-NET WEEKLY HOURS

Dateline Weekly (NBCU) 4.2 +14%

Law & Order: SVU (NBCU) 1.6 -6%

Chicago P.D. (NBCU) 1.5 -6%

NCIS: New Orleans (CTD) 0.9 -18%

NCIS (CTD) 0.9 -18%

Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBCU) 0.8 -11%

Monk (NBCU) 0.8 +14%