‘Kelly & Michael’ Take Top Talk Title

The session ending June 7 featured repeat episodes of many shows, but Live with Kelly & Michael, which was one of several programs still showing  original episodes, jumped to the top of the talkers, just ahead of usual leader Dr. Phil.

For Kelly & Michael, which clocked a 2.7 live-plus-same-day national Nielsen rating, and grew 4% from last year at this time, it was the first time it found itself all alone in first place since the week of Jan. 5.

Dr. Phil went into a full week of reruns and slipped 7% to a 2.6, missing the victory by a tenth of a point.

Ellen DeGeneres recovered 5% to a third-place 2.3.

Other talkers in the plus column:

• Steve Harvey, which surged 13% to a 1.7.
• Wendy Williams, which went back into original shows and jumped 31%, the most of any talk show, to a 1.7.
• Jerry Springer, which improved 8% to a 1.4, matching its season high and gaining 27% from last year, the biggest annual increase of any talker.

On the negative side, Dr. Oz lost 8% to a 1.2, matching its all-time low and slipping 29% from last year, which was the biggest year-to-year decline of any talk show.

Court show champion Judge Judy was syndication’s No. 1 strip overall for the sixth straight week with a steady 6.5 despite being mostly in repeats. Rookie Hot Bench was the second highest-rated gaveler, holding firm at a 2.0 with an all-rerun week.

Elsewhere, Access Hollywood had the strongest growth of any magazine, climbing 7% for the week to a 1.6 and shooting up 14% from last year.

Entertainment Tonight and sister show Inside Edition were both unchanged and remained tied at the top of the magazine rack for the fourth week in a row, with each clocking a 2.9.

The game show race was another close one. Wheel of Fortune just barely held on to the household lead with a 5% gain to a 6.4. Family Feud and Jeopardy were both a mere tenth behind with Feud up 5% to a 6.3, tying Jeopardy, which was up 3% to a 6.3. Year to year, Feud was up the most by far, ballooning 34%.

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

• Wendy Williams (1.3, +44% from the week before), tied with Ellen DeGeneres (1.3, +8%), Live with Kelly & Michael (1.3, -13%) and Maury (1.3, unchanged)
• Dr. Phil (1.2, -8%)
• Steve Harvey (0.9, +13%), tied with Jerry Springer (0.9 +13%)

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. Live with Kelly & Michael (Disney-ABC) 2.7 NC

2. Dr. Phil (CTD) 2.6 -7%

3. Ellen DeGeneres (WBDTD) 2.3 +5%

4. Maury (NBCU) 1.9 NC

5. Steve Harvey (NBCU) 1.7 +13%

5. Wendy Williams (Debmar-Mercury) 1.7 +31%

7. Jerry Springer (NBCU) 1.4 +8%

8. Steve Wilkos (NBCU) 1.3 NC

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

10. Rachael Ray (CTD) 1.1** -15%

11. The Real (WBDTD) 1.0 NC

12. Meredith Vieira (NBCU) 0.9** -10%

12. The Doctors (CTD) 0.9 NC

14. The Better Show (Meredith) 0.1 NC

INTERNET VIDEO

1. Right This Minute (MGM) 1.4 +8%

COURT SHOWS

1. Judge Judy (CTD) 6.5 NC

2. Hot Bench (CTD) 2.0 NC

3. People’s Court (WBDTD) 1.7 -11%

4. Divorce Court (Twentieth) 1.4 NC

5. Judge Mathis (WBDTD) 1.3 NC

6. Paternity Court (Orion Television) 1.1 -8%

7. Judge Faith (Trifecta) 0.8 -11%

MAGAZINE SHOWS

1. Entertainment Tonight (CTD) 2.9 NC

1. Inside Edition (CTD) 2.9 NC

3. TMZ (WBDTD) 1.9 +6%

4. Access Hollywood (NBCU) 1.6 +7%

5. Extra (WBDTD) 1.3 NC

6. The Insider (CTD) 1.2 NC

7. Dish Nation (Twentieth) 1.0 NC

8. Intelligence for Your Life (IFYL) 0.2 NC

8. OK! TV (Trifecta) 0.2 NC

GAME SHOWS

1. Wheel of Fortune (CTD) 6.4 +5%

2. Jeopardy (CTD) 6.3 +3%

2. Family Feud (Debmar-Mercury) 6.3 +5%

4. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (Disney-ABC) 1.6 NC

5. Celebrity Name Game (Debmar-Mercury/FMNA) 1.3 -7%

OFF-NET SITCOMS

1. Big Bang Theory (WBDTD) 5.6 +6%

2. Modern Family (Twentieth) 3.2 -9%

3. Two and a Half Men (WBDTD) 2.9 +7%

4. Family Guy (Twentieth) 2.5 NC

5. Mike and Molly (WBDTD) 2.3 NC

6. How I Met Your Mother (Twentieth) 2.2 -4%

7. Seinfeld (Sony) 2.0 NC

8. The Middle (WBDTD) 1.7 NC

9. The Cleveland Show (Twentieth) 1.6 NC

10. King of the Hill (Twentieth) 1.5 NC

OFF-NET WEEKLY HOURS

1. Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBCU) 5.8 -13%

2. Law & Order: SVU (NBCU) 3.8 -17%

3. Blue Bloods (CTD) 2.4 +9%

4. Castle (Disney-ABC) 2.2 +16%

5. Scandal (Disney-ABC) 1.8 +38%

5. The Mentalist (WBDTD) 1.8 +29%