Syndies Start Off 2022 With A Bang

Syndicated shows skyrocketed in the session ending Jan. 9, the first full week of the new year. Double-digit increases were the norm among the category leaders in first run, with closely watched daytimers Judge Judy and Drew Barrymore both hitting new season highs.

Judy jumped 10% to a 5.4 live-plus-same-day national Nielsen rating, its biggest verdict since the week ending May 16th of last year, while Drew grew 20% and clocked its strongest frame since early April of 2021.

Other standout performers in daytime included Dr. Phil, which vaulted 12% to a 1.9 and took over first place in the talk show category, Ellen DeGeneres, Kelly Clarkson and Tamron Hall. Ellen had the largest year-over-year increase of any show in the top 10, improving 22% for both the week and the year to a 1.1, while matching its season high and piling on 33% in the key women 25-54 demo.

Clarkson was red hot, mushrooming 25% to equal its best rating of the season, and Tamron scored, spiking 17% in households and 50% among women 25-54 to line up with its loftiest performance of the year.

Growing court show Hot Bench and hot chat fest The Real also matched or exceeded their season bests, with Bench booking a 17% increase to a 1.6, and Real racing ahead 33% to a 34-week high 0.4.

Big moves among the major entertainment magazines included a 20% gain to a new season high for Entertainment Tonight, which tied Inside Edition for the sector lead, and a 13% acceleration for Access Hollywood to reach new record ratings for the season.

Game shows were also super, with syndication leader Jeopardy adding 18% to a new season high 6.6.

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

• Dr. Phil (0.7, +17% from the week before)
• Live with Kelly and Ryan (0.6, -14%)
• Ellen DeGeneres (0.4, +33%), tied with Kelly Clarkson (0.4, unchanged) and Maury (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) 1.9 +12%

Live with Kelly and Ryan (Disney-ABC) 1.6 -11%

Ellen DeGeneres (WBDTD) 1.1 +22%

The Kelly Clarkson Show (NBCU) 1.0 +25%

Maury (NBCU) 0.8 NC

Rachael Ray (CMV) 0.8 NC

Wendy Williams (Debmar-Mercury) 0.7 NC

Tamron Hall (Disney-ABC) 0.7 +17%

Drew Barrymore (CMV) 0.6* +20%

Steve Wilkos (NBCU) 0.6 NC

Dr. Oz (Sony) 0.5 NC

Nick Cannon (CMV) 0.5 +25%

The Real (WBDTD) 0.4* +33%

Jerry Springer (NBCU) 0.3 NC

The Doctors (CMV) 0.2 NC

COURT SHOWS

Judge Judy (CMV) 5.4* +10%

Hot Bench(CMV) 1.6 +7%

People’s Court (WBDTD) 0.9* +13%

Judge Mathis (WBDTD) 0.6 NC

Judge Jerry (NBCU) 0.5 NC

Divorce Court (Fox First Run) 0.5 NC

Relative Justice (EW Media Group) 0.4 +33%

GAME SHOWS

Jeopardy (CMV) 6.6* +18%

Wheel of Fortune (CMV) 6.0* +20%

Family Feud (Debmar-Mercury/FMNA) 5.9* +9%

You Bet Your Life (Fox First Run) 0.8 +14%

25 Words or Less (Fox First Run) 0.8 +14%

Funny You Should Ask(Entertainment Studios) 0.4 NC

MAGAZINE SHOWS

Inside Edition (CMV) 2.4* +14%

Entertainment Tonight (CMV) 2.4* +20%

Access Hollywood (NBCU) 0.9* +13%

TMZ (WBDTD) 0.7 NC

Extra (WBDTD) 0.6 NC

Daily Mail TV (CMV) 0.6 +20%

Dish Nation (Fox First Run) 0.2 NC

OFF-NET SITCOMS

Big Bang Theory (WBDTD) 2.2 +10%

Last Man Standing (Disney-ABC) 1.5 +7%

Young Sheldon (WBDTD) 1.0* +11%

Two and a Half Men (WBDTD) 0.9 NC

Family Guy (Disney-ABC) 0.9* +50%

The Goldbergs(Sony) 0.8 NC

Modern Family (Disney-ABC) 0.8 NC

Seinfeld (Sony) 0.7 NC

Black-ish (Disney-ABC) 0.6 NC

Mom (WBDTD) 0.6* +20%

OFF-NET WEEKLY HOURS

Dateline Weekly (NBCU) 3.9 -3%

Law & Order: SVU (NBCU) 1.4 NC

Chicago P.D. (NBCU) 1.4 +56%

Chicago Fire (NBCU) 1.2 -20%

Monk (NBCU) 1.1 -8%

Castle (Disney-ABC) 0.9* +13%