‘Jeopardy’ Finds A Ratings Answer In Matt Amodio

In the session ending Oct. 3, the excitement over star contestant Matt Amodio, the second-biggest consecutive game winner in Jeopardy history, edged the show ahead 2% from the week before to a 5.5 live-plus-same-day national Nielsen rating, nudging it into undisputed first place on syndication’s household ratings chart first time in several months.

Of course, Amodio’s streak was eventually stopped on Oc.t 11 after 38 straight victories and more than $1.5 million in winnings.

Jeopardy had been tied at the top with usual syndication leader Family Feud, which fell 2% to a 5.3 although Feud had not yet begun its new season.

Wheel of Fortune was flat at a third-place 5.0, but far ahead of rookie You Bet Your Life, which lost 13% to a 0.7.

In daytime, the talk show race tightened with the formidable Dr. Phil holding the lead for a second straight week with a steady 1.8, and Live with Kelly and Ryan, Ellen DeGeneres, Kelly Clarkson and Tamron Hall all making their presence felt.

Live rose 6% to a 1.7, nipping at Phil’s heels. Ellen was not far behind, preserving its season-high 1.0 and chalking up a strong third-place more than 1.4 million daily viewers in this, its final, season despite multiple preemptions for coverage of R. Kelly’s guilty verdict on Sept. 27. Over the past four weeks Ellen has seen its ratings surge 43%.

Also looming nearby were Clarkson, which scored a 0.9, while retaining 100% of its year-ago ratings, and Hall. Hall was hot, ramping up 17%, the most of any talker, maintaining all of its prior year’s ratings and forging ahead 50% in the key demo.

Further down the list, the highly publicized newcomer, Nick Cannon, debuted on the talk chart at a 0.4, which was just behind the steady 0.5 for sophomore Drew Barrymore, the only talker to premiere last season.

Court show standard bearer Judge Judy refused to come back to earth, towering over all of daytime with a 4.7 for a second straight week.

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

• Dr. Phil (0.7, +17% from the week before), tied with Live with Kelly and Ryan (0.7, +17%)
• Ellen DeGeneres (0.4, unchanged), tied with Kelly Clarkson (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

Dr. Phil (CMV) 1.8 NC

Live with Kelly and Ryan (Disney-ABC) 1.7 +6%

Ellen DeGeneres (WBDTD) 1.0 NC

The Kelly Clarkson Show (NBCU) 0.9 NC

Maury (NBCU) 0.8 -11%

Tamron Hall (Disney-ABC) 0.7 +17%

Rachael Ray (CMV) 0.7 NC

Wendy Williams (Debmar-Mercury) 0.6 NC

Dr. Oz (Sony) 0.6 NC

Drew Barrymore (CMV) 0.5 NC

Steve Wilkos (NBCU) 0.5 NC

Nick Cannon (CMV) 0.4 NA

The Real (WBDTD) 0.3 NC

Jerry Springer (NBCU) 0.3 NC

The Doctors (CMV) 0.2 NC

COURT SHOWS

Judge Judy (CMV) 4.7 NC

Hot Bench(CMV) 1.5 -6%

People’s Court (WBDTD) 0.8 NC

Judge Mathis (WBDTD) 0.6 NC

Judge Jerry (NBCU) 0.4 NC

Divorce Court (Fox First Run) 0.4 -20%

GAME SHOWS

Jeopardy (CMV) 5.5 +2%

Family Feud (Debmar-Mercury/FMNA) 5.3 -2%

Wheel of Fortune (CMV) 5.0 NC

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) 2.3 NC

Entertainment Tonight (CMV) 2.1 -5%

Access Hollywood (NBCU) 0.8 NC

TMZ (WBDTD) 0.7 NC

Extra (WBDTD) 0.6 NC

Daily Mail TV (CMV) 0.5 -17%

Dish Nation (Fox First Run) 0.2 -33%

OFF-NET SITCOMS

Big Bang Theory (WBDTD) 2.2 -8%

Last Man Standing (Disney-ABC) 1.3 -13%

Two and a Half Men (WBDTD) 0.8** -11%

Young Sheldon (WBDTD) 0.8 NA

Modern Family (Disney-ABC) 0.7** -22%

The Goldbergs(Sony) 0.7** -13%

Seinfeld (Sony) 0.7 -13%

Family Guy (Disney-ABC) 0.6 -14%

Two Broke Girls (WBDTD) 0.6 NC

Black-ish (Disney-ABC) 0.5 NC

Mom (WBDTD) 0.5 NC

OFF-NET WEEKLY HOURS

Dateline Weekly (NBCU) 3.6 -12%

Chicago Fire (NBCU) 1.1 NC

Chicago P.D. (NBCU) 1.0 -9%

Law & Order: SVU (NBCU) 0.9 NC

Monk (NBCU) 0.9 -10%

Castle (Disney-ABC) 0.8 +14%

Bull (CMV) 0.8 +14%