Top Courtrooms Post Rating Gains

Courtroom titans Judge Judy and Hot Bench ate everyone’s lunch in daytime and ranked as the big daypart’s two highest rated shows for the seventh week in a row, as syndication entered the dog days of summer in the session ending July 26.

Although most programs remained on the back foot in the face of seasonally low viewing levels and cities reopening, Judy increased its audience by 214,000 to more than 8 million daily viewers, and jumped to its second-biggest rating since May with a 2% advance to a 5.7 live-plus-same-day national Nielsen rating. In addition, the show climbed 5% in the coveted women 25-54 demo despite being in repeats on all five days.

Also in reruns all week, Judy’s progeny Hot Bench bagged a nine-week high 2.1, forging ahead 5% for the week and 11% from last year despite numerous preemptions for pandemic coverage.

Dr. Phil topped the talkers for the sixth week in a row with a steady 1.8.

Live with Kelly and Ryan was next, holding its ground at a 1.6, however ratings for Live are expected to spike in the next weekly report when results of its widely praised tribute to late co-host Regis Philbin are tabulated. Metered market overnights for the emotional “Regis Rememberance,” which aired July 27, were up 44% from the week before.

Further back, Maury was unchanged at a 1.1 for the 7^th straight week. And the long-running Ellen DeGeneres suffered a 9% decline to a new all-time low 1.0

In access, the big game shows headed south. Family Feud fell 2% to a 5.7, although that tied daytime dynamo Judge Judy for the overall syndication lead. Wheel of Fortune faded 4% to a 4.8, while Jeopardy slid 6% to a new season low 4.7.

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

• Live with Kelly and Ryan (0.7, unchanged from the week before), tied with Dr. Phil (0.7, +17%, unchanged)
• Maury (0.6, unchanged)
• Ellen DeGeneres (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 means not applicable.

TALK SHOWS

1. Dr. Phil (CTD) 1.8 NC
2. Live with Kelly and Ryan (Disney-ABC) 1.6 NC
3. Maury (NBCU) 1.1 NC
4. Ellen DeGeneres (WBDTD) 1.0** -9%
5. Steve Wilkos (NBCU) 1.0 +11%
6. Wendy Williams (Debmar-Mercury) 0.8 NC
7. Rachael Ray (CTD) 0.8 NC
8. Dr. Oz (Sony) 0.6 NC
9. The Real (WBDTD) 0.4 NC
10. The Doctors (CTD) 0.4 NC
11. Jerry Springer (NBCU) 0.3 NC

FIRST-RUN ROOKIES

1. 25 Words or Less (CTD) 1.0 NC
2. The Kelly Clarkson Show (NBCU) 0.9 NC
3. Judge Jerry (NBCU) 0.8 NC
4. Tamron Hall (Disney-ABC) 0.7 -13%
5. America Says (Sony) 0.7 -13%
6. Personal Injury Court (MGM) 0.4 NC
7. Mel Robbins (Sony) 0.3 NC
8. Protection Court (Trifecta) 0.2 NC

COURT SHOWS

1. Judge Judy (CTD) 5.7 +2%
2. Hot Bench(CTD) 2.1 +5%
3. People’s Court (WBDTD) 1.3 NC
4. Judge Mathis (WBDTD) 0.8 NC
5. Divorce Court (20th Television) 0.6 NC
6. Caught in Providence (Debmar-Mercury) 0.5 NC

GAME SHOWS

1. Family Feud (Debmar-Mercury/FMNA) 5.7 -2%
2. Wheel of Fortune (CTD) 4.8 -4%
3. Jeopardy (CTD) 4.7** -6%
4. Funny You Should Ask(Entertainment Studios) 0.5 NC

OFF-NET CRIME

1. Dateline M-F (NBCU) 1.1 +22%
2. Chicago P.D. (NBCU) 0.8 +14%

MAGAZINE SHOWS

1. Inside Edition (CTD) 2.5 NC
2. Entertainment Tonight (CTD) 2.4 NC
3. Access Hollywood (NBCU) 1.1 -8%
4. TMZ (WBDTD) 0.9 -10%
5. Extra (WBDTD) 0.8 NC
6. Daily Mail TV (CTD) 0.8 NC
7. Celebrity Page (Trifecta) 0.2 +100%

OFF-NET SITCOMS

1. Big Bang Theory (WBDTD) 2.7 -4%
2. Last Man Standing (20th Television) 2.0 NC
3. Modern Family (20th Television) 1.2 NC
4. Two and a Half Men (WBDTD) 1.1** -8%
5. The Goldbergs(Sony) 1.1 -8%
6. Family Guy (20th Television) 1.0 NC
7. Seinfeld (Sony) 1.0 NC
8. Mike and Molly (WBDTD) 0.8 -11%
9. Black-ish (Disney-ABC) 0.8 NC
10. Mom (WBDTD) 0.8 NC

OFF-NET WEEKLY HOURS

1. Dateline Weekly (NBCU) 3.4 +6%
2. Law & Order: SVU (NBCU) 1.3 NC
3. NCIS: New Orleans (CTD) 1.1 +10%
4. American Ninja Warrior (NBCU) 1.0 +43%
5. Chicago P.D. (NBCU) 1.0 +11%
6. Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBCU) 0.9 NC
7. Castle (Disney-ABC) 0.9 -10%