Good Week For Magazines, Courts, Talkers

Coverage of both the Emmy Awards and the Angelina Jolie-Brad Pitt breakup ignited the traditional entertainment magazines in the session ending Sept. 25.

Leader Entertainment Tonight surged 17% to a 30-week high 3.4 live-plus-same-day national Nielsen rating and topped the category for the eighth consecutive frame.

Access Hollywood added 14% to a 1.6; Extra hit its highest rating since late June, jumping 8% to a 1.3; and The Insider strengthened 10% to a 1.1.

In daytime, Dr. Phil gave back 13% after rocketing to a nearly two-year high the week before, but still rose 10% from last year to a 3.3 and easily led the talkers in both key demos and households.

Others in the genre clocking double-digit year-to-year improvement included sophomore Crime Watch Daily with Chris Hansen and The Doctors. Both shows grew 13% annually to a 0.9.

Newcomer Harry dropped 14% to a 1.2 after premiering the week before with the highest ratings of any talk show in three years. However, in the women 25-54 money demo, Harry lost nothing, holding steady with its 0.7 opening week score.

Also of note, Wendy Williams began its ninth season with a 36% leap from the week before to a 1.5.

Nailing first place in syndication overall for the eighth straight week was Judge Judy with a 7.1, up 11% from last year at this time.

Hot Bench, which was created by Judge Judy, gained 20% to a 2.4 and posted the fourth highest rating in daytime behind only Judy, Phil and Live with Kelly.

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

• Dr. Phil (1.5, -12% from the week before)
• Live with Kelly (1.2, +9%), tied with Ellen DeGeneres (1.2, unchanged)
• Maury (1.0, +11%), tied with Wendy Williams (1.0, +43%)
• Steve Harvey (0.9, +13%)
• Steve Wilkos (0.8, +14%) and Jerry Springer (0.8, +14%) 
• Harry (0.7, 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 mean not applicable.

TALK SHOWS

1. Dr. Phil (CTD) 3.3 -13%

2. Live with Kelly (Disney-ABC) 2.5 NC

3. Ellen DeGeneres (WBDTD) 2.2 -4%

4. Steve Harvey (NBCU) 1.7 +13%

5. Maury (NBCU) 1.5 +7%

5. Wendy Williams (Debmar-Mercury) 1.5 +36%

7. Rachael Ray (CTD) 1.3 +8%

7. Jerry Springer (NBCU) 1.3 +8%

9. Dr. Oz (Sony) 1.2 -8%

9. Steve Wilkos (NBCU) 1.2 NC

11. Crime Watch Daily with Chris Hansen (WBDTD) 0.9 NC

11. The Doctors (CTD) 0.9 +13%

13. The Real (WBDTD) 0.8 NC

DAYTIME ROOKIE SHOWS

1. Harry (NBCU) 1.2 -14%

COURT SHOWS

1. Judge Judy (CTD) 7.1 +1%

2. Hot Bench (CTD) 2.4 +4%

3. People’s Court (WBDTD) 1.7 +6%

4. Judge Mathis (WBDTD) 1.3 NC

5. Divorce Court (Twentieth) 1.1 +10%

6. Judge Faith (Trifecta) 0.8 +14%

GAME SHOWS

1. Family Feud (Debmar-Mercury/FMNA) 6.3 NC

2. Wheel of Fortune (CTD) 6.0 +5%

3. Jeopardy (CTD) 5.7 +6%

4. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (Disney-ABC) 1.5 -6%

5. Celebrity Name Game (Debmar-Mercury/FMNA) 1.3 NC

INTERNET VIDEO

1. Right This Minute (Disney-ABC) 1.4 NC

MAGAZINE SHOWS

1. Entertainment Tonight (CTD) 3.4 +17%

2. Inside Edition (CTD) 2.9 +7%

3. Access Hollywood (NBCU) 1.6 +14%

4. TMZ (WBDTD) 1.5 +7%

5. Extra (WBDTD) 1.3 +8%

6. The Insider (CTD) 1.1 +10%

7. Dish Nation (Twentieth) 0.8 NC

8. Celebrity Page (Trifecta) 0.3 NC

OFF-NET SITCOMS

1. Big Bang Theory (WBDTD) 5.1 +2%

2. Modern Family (Twentieth) 2.8 +4%

3. Two and a Half Men (WBDTD) 2.3 NC

4. Family Guy (Twentieth) 1.8 -10%

4. Mike and Molly (WBDTD) 1.8 -5%

6. Two Broke Girls (WBDTD) 1.7 -6%

6. Seinfeld (Sony) 1.7 NC

8. Last Man Standing (Twentieth) 1.4 NA

8. How I Met Your Mother (Twentieth) 1.4 +8%

10. The Cleveland Show (Twentieth) 1.3 -7%

10. King of the Hill (Twentieth) 1.3 NC

OFF-NET WEEKLY HOUR DRAMAS

1. Law & Order: SVU (NBCU) 3.7 +9%

2. Blue Bloods (CTD) 1.8 -10%

3. The Closer (WBDTD) 1.6 -6%

4. Castle (Disney-ABC) 1.4 -7%

4. CSI Miami (CTD) 1.4 +8%

6. The Mentalist (WBDTD) 1.2 -8%