‘Family Feud’ Tops Games And Syndication

The first and last week of the Mike Richards reign as Jeopardy host began as the beleaguered game show got its 38^th season underway in the session ending Sept. 19 with a 24% weekly increase to a 5.1 live-plus-same-day national Nielsen rating. That still trailed game show and overall syndication leader Family Feud, which fell 5% to a 5.3.

Further back, newcomer You Bet Your Life bowed with a 0.7.

Among talk shows, Dr. Phil had the right prescription for a very positive 20^th anniversary season premiere, surging 21% to a 1.7 and tying the steady Live with Kelly and Ryan for first place in the category.

Also flying out of the gate with impressive season openers were: Ellen DeGeneres, Kelly Clarkson and Drew Barrymore. DeGeneres debuted 19^th and final season, shooting up 25% for the week and 43% over the past two sessions to a 14-week high 1.0, while clocking a 25% improvement over last year.

Clarkson climbed 13% to a 0.9 with its Season 3 premiere, its biggest rating since May 24 and outperformed its year-ago score by 13%.

Barrymore barreled ahead 25% to a 0.5 with its scenic second season premiere week shot outside on the Paramount lot in Los Angeles and promisingly out-rated almost all of the top talkers in key market New York.

Judge Judy posted a powerful 4.5 and continued to dominate all of daytime. Hot Bench was the second-biggest court show, spiking 7% to a 16-week high 1.6 to kick off its eighth season.

Back in access, Entertainment Tonight grew 17% to a 2.1 with a new set for its Season 41 premiere and jumped into a first-place tie among magazines with Inside Edition.

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

• Live with Kelly and Ryan (0.6, -14% from the week before)
• Dr. Phil (0.5, unchanged)
• Kelly Clarkson (0.4, +33%), tied with Ellen DeGeneres (0.4, +33%)

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) 1.7 +21%

Live with Kelly and Ryan (Disney-ABC) 1.7 NC

Ellen DeGeneres (WBDTD) 1.0 +25%

The Kelly Clarkson Show (NBCU) 0.9 +13%

Maury (NBCU) 0.8 -20%

Wendy Williams (Debmar-Mercury) 0.7 NC

Rachael Ray (CMV) 0.7 NC

Tamron Hall (Disney-ABC) 0.7 NC

Steve Wilkos (NBCU) 0.6 NC

Dr. Oz (Sony) 0.6 NC

Drew Barrymore (CMV) 0.5 +25%

The Real (WBDTD) 0.3 NC

Jerry Springer (NBCU) 0.3 -25%

The Doctors (CMV) 0.2 NC

COURT SHOWS

Judge Judy (CMV) 4.5 -2%

Hot Bench(CMV) 1.6 +7%

People’s Court (WBDTD) 0.8 NC

Judge Mathis (WBDTD) 0.6 -14%

Judge Jerry (NBCU) 0.4** -20%

Divorce Court (Fox First Run) 0.4 NA

GAME SHOWS

Family Feud (Debmar-Mercury/FMNA) 5.3 -5%

Jeopardy (CMV) 5.1 +24%

Wheel of Fortune (CMV) 4.8 +17%

25 Words or Less (Fox First Run) 0.7 -13%

You Bet Your Life (CMV) 0.7 NA

Funny You Should Ask(Entertainment Studios) 0.4 NC

MAGAZINE SHOWS

Inside Edition (CMV) 2.1 +11%

Entertainment Tonight (CMV) 2.1 +17%

Access Hollywood (NBCU) 0.8 NC

TMZ (WBDTD) 0.7 NC

Extra (WBDTD) 0.6 NC

Daily Mail TV (CMV) 0.5 NC

Dish Nation (Fox First Run) 0.3 NC

OFF-NET SITCOMS

Big Bang Theory (WBDTD) 2.2 +5%

Last Man Standing (Disney-ABC) 1.4 -7%

Two and a Half Men (WBDTD) 0.9 NC

The Goldbergs(Sony) 0.8 -11%

Family Guy (Disney-ABC) 0.8 +14%

Modern Family (Disney-ABC) 0.8 -11%

Seinfeld (Sony) 0.7 -13%

Mike and Molly (WBDTD) 0.6 -14%

Black-ish (Disney-ABC) 0.6 NC

Two Broke Girls (WBDTD) 0.6 NC

OFF-NET WEEKLY HOURS

Dateline Weekly (NBCU) 4.2 +17%

Law & Order: SVU (NBCU) 1.8 +6%

Monk (NBCU) 1.6 NC

Chicago P.D. (NBCU) 1.4 +27%

American Ninja Warrior (NBCU) 1.3 +30%

Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBCU) 1.0 +25%