Summer Rerun: ‘Family Feud’ Tops Syndies

The top three court shows made the strongest closing arguments as the summer season came to an end in an otherwise depressed pre-holiday session that concluded Sept. 4.

Judge Judy, which has been Nielsen’s No. 1-rated show in the category every week for the past 26 years, jumped 5% from the previous docket to a very formidable 4.4 live-plus-same-day national rating with more than 6.5 million daily viewers. Hot Bench, syndication’s second-highest courtroom banged out an 8% advance to a five-week high 1.3, while People’s Court climbed 17% to a third-place 0.7.

Elsewhere in daytime, Kelly Clarkson was the only talker to score an increase, surging into sole possession of third place with a 14% gain to a five-week high 0.8. Live with Kelly and Ryan and Dr. Phil remained the clear talk leaders with both holding steady at 1.4.

In access, only two magazines were able to move up: Entertainment Tonight, which spiked 6% to a 1.9, and Access Hollywood, which swelled 17% to a 0.7.

Two brand new talkers, Jennifer Hudson and Sherri, had strong premieres Monday, especially in top market New York, where Jennifer jumped to a 0.9 rating/5 share at 11 a.m. on WNYW, which was a 125% time period improvement over last year. Sherri notched a 1.1/5 on the same station at 10 a.m., which beat the September 2021 time period occupant, Wendy Williams, by 57%.

Also making it big in New York was Tamron Hall, which was up 20% from last year to a 1.2/6 in the first week of its fourth season, which began Sept. 6 on WABC at 10 a.m.

Continuing its run at the top of the overall syndication chart was Family Feud at a 4.9, despite dropping 6% from the week before.

The top talk shows for the week among women 25-54 were:

• Live with Kelly and Ryan (0.6, unchanged from the week before)
• Dr. Phil (0.4, unchanged)
• Kelly Clarkson (0.3, unchanged), tied with Ellen DeGeneres (0.3, +50%), Steve Wilkos (0.3, unchanged), Maury (0.3, unchanged) and Rachael Ray (0.3, 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 (CMV) 1.4 NC

Live with Kelly and Ryan (Disney-ABC) 1.4 NC

The Kelly Clarkson Show (NBCU) 0.8 +14%

Ellen DeGeneres (WBDTD) 0.7 NC

Maury (NBCU) 0.6 NC

Steve Wilkos (NBCU) 0.6 NC

Tamron Hall (Disney-ABC) 0.6 NC

Rachael Ray (CMV) 0.6 NC

Wendy Williams (Debmar-Mercury) 0.5 NC

Drew Barrymore (CMV) 0.4 NC

Jerry Springer (NBCU) 0.3 NC

Nick Cannon (CMV) 0.2 -33%

The Real (WBDTD) 0.2 NC

The Doctors (CMV) 0.2 NC

COURT SHOWS

Judge Judy (CMV) 4.4 +5%

Hot Bench(CMV) 1.3 +8%

People’s Court (WBDTD) 0.7 +17%

Judge Mathis (WBDTD) 0.5 NC

Divorce Court (Fox First Run) 0.5 NC

Judge Jerry (NBCU) 0.4 NC

Relative Justice (EW Media Group) 0.3 NC

GAME SHOWS

Family Feud (Debmar-Mercury/FMNA) 4.9 -6%

Wheel of Fortune (CMV) 4.1 NC

Jeopardy (CMV) 4.0 -5%

You Bet Your Life (Fox First Run) 0.7 -13%

25 Words or Less (Fox First Run) 0.7 NC

Funny You Should Ask(Entertainment Studios) 0.4 NC

MAGAZINE SHOWS

Inside Edition (CMV) 2.0 NC

Entertainment Tonight (CMV) 1.9 +6%

Access Hollywood (NBCU) 0.7 +17%

TMZ (Fox First Run) 0.6 -14%

Extra (WBDTD) 0.5 -17%

Daily Mail TV (CMV) 0.4 -20%

Dish Nation (Fox First Run) 0.2 NC

OFF-NET SITCOMS

Big Bang Theory (WBDTD) 1.8 -10%

Last Man Standing (Disney-ABC) 1.0 -9%

Young Sheldon (WBDTD) 0.7 NC

Modern Family (Disney-ABC) 0.7 NC

Two and a Half Men (WBDTD) 0.7 NC

The Goldbergs(Sony) 0.7 NC

Family Guy (Disney-ABC) 0.7 NC

Seinfeld (Sony) 0.6 NC

Mike and Molly (WBDTD) 0.4 NC

Black-ish (Disney-ABC) 0.4 NC

Mom (WBDTD) 0.4 NC

OFF-NET WEEKLY HOURS

Dateline Weekly (NBCU) 3.5 -10%

Chicago Fire (NBCU) 1.2 -8%

Law & Order: SVU (NBCU) 1.1 -8%

Monk (NBCU) 0.9 +13%

Castle (Disney-ABC) 0.8 +14%

Bull (CNV) 0.7 NC

Chicago P.D. (NBCU) 0.7 -30%