‘Phil’ Returns From Thanksgiving Back On Top

After being nudged out of the top spot in talk in the prior week — for the first time in more than three years — Dr. Phil came roaring back in the session ending Dec. 8.

Phil skyrocketed 25% to a 2.5 live-plus-same-day national Nielsen rating, its second biggest number of the season, and finished among the talkers for the 169^th time in the last 170 weeks.

Live with Kelly and Ryan was rock solid, holding its season-high 2.1 for a sixth straight week and tying Ellen DeGeneres for second place. Ellen rose 5% to a new season-high 2.1.

Far ahead of the daytime field, Judge Judy presided with a top-rated 6.7, easily overwhelming all shows in syndication for the 18^th time in the past 19 weeks, and was the only courtroom up from last year, growing 2%.

The Judy performance was especially impressive since many daytime programs were hit with preemptions for impeachment hearings and announcements Dec. 4 and 5, and the Pensacola Naval Air Station shootings on Dec. 6.

Elsewhere, magazines were lively with none of the top six losing ground:

• Inside Edition added 4% to a 2.7.
• Sister show Entertainment Tonight was right behind with a steady 2.6.
• Access Hollywood spiked 8% to a 1.4 and jumped 17% among women 25-54 with extensive coverage of the Royal Family.
• TMZ recovered 22% to a 1.1.
• Extra surged 13% to a 0.9 in households and shot up 25% among women 25-54 despite not airing due to football games nine times in the top 14 markets.

Also of note, Daily Mail TV held its ground at a 0.8 in the face of preemptions.

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

• Dr. Phil (1.0, +11% from the week before)
• Live with Kelly and Ryan (0.9, unchanged), tied with Ellen DeGeneres (0.9, unchanged)
• Kelly Clarkson (0.6, unchanged), tied with Maury (0.6, unchanged) and Wendy Williams (0.6, unchanged)
• 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 +25%

Live with Kelly and Ryan (Disney-ABC) 2.1 NC

Ellen DeGeneres (WBDTD) 2.1* +5%

Wendy Williams (Debmar-Mercury) 1.3 +8%

Maury (NBCU) 1.1 NC

5. Rachael Ray (CTD) 1.1 NC

Steve Wilkos (NBCU) 1.0 +11%

Dr. Oz (Sony) 0.9 NC

The Real (WBDTD) 0.6 NC

The Doctors (CTD) 0.4 -20%

Jerry Springer (NBCU) 0.4 NC

FIRST-RUN ROOKIES

The Kelly Clarkson Show (NBCU) 1.3 -7%

Judge Jerry (NBCU) 0.9 NC

Tamron Hall (Disney-ABC) 0.9 -10%

25 Words or Less (CTD) 0.9 NC

America Says (Sony) 0.7 +17%

Personal Injury Court (MGM) 0.5 NC

Mel Robbins (Sony) 0.4 NC

Protection Court (Trifecta) 0.3 NC

COURT SHOWS

Judge Judy (CTD) 6.7 -3%

Hot Bench(CTD) 2.0 -5%

People’s Court (WBDTD) 1.4 +17%

Judge Mathis (WBDTD) 0.9 +13%

Divorce Court (20th Television) 0.7 +17%

Caught in Providence (Debmar-Mercury) 0.5 +25%

GAME SHOWS

Jeopardy (CTD) 6.2 +5%

Wheel of Fortune (CTD) 6.0 +15%

Family Feud (Debmar-Mercury/FMNA) 5.7 +8%

Funny You Should Ask(Entertainment Studios) 0.5 NC

OFF-NET CRIME

Dateline M-F (NBCU) 1.1 NC

Live PD: Police Patrol (Sony) 1.0 -17%

Chicago P.D. (NBCU) 0.8 +14%

MAGAZINE SHOWS

Inside Edition (CTD) 2.7 +4%

Entertainment Tonight (CTD) 2.6 NC

Access Hollywood (NBCU) 1.4 +8%

TMZ (WBDTD) 1.1 +22%

Extra (WBDTD) 0.9 +13%

Daily Mail TV (CTD) 0.8 NC

Celebrity Page (Trifecta) 0.2 NC

OFF-NET SITCOMS

Big Bang Theory (WBDTD) 3.0 +11%

Last Man Standing (20th Television) 1.9 +6%

3. Modern Family (20th Television) 1.5 +7%

Two and a Half Men (WBDTD) 1.3 +8%

The Goldbergs(Sony) 1.3 NC

Family Guy (20th Television) 1.3 +18%

Black-ish (Disney-ABC) 1.0 NC

Mom (WBDTD) 1.0 +25%

Mike and Molly (WBDTD) 0.9 NC

Two Broke Girls (WBDTD) 0.9 +13%

Seinfeld (Sony) 0.9 NC

OFF-NET WEEKLY HOURS

Dateline Weekly (NBCU) 3.1 +15%

NCIS: New Orleans (CTD) 1.3 -7%

Law & Order: SVU (NBCU) 1.3 NC

Chicago P.D. (NBCU) 1.1 +10%

Castle (Disney-ABC) 1.0 +11%

Madam Secretary (CTD) 1.0 NC