Many Talkers Post Year-To-Year Gains

Holiday shopping kept many viewers away from their sets in the week ending Dec. 21. However, several daytime talkers still showed significant year-to-year increases.

Ellen DeGeneres, which led the talkers for first time since the week of Dec. 16, 2013, with a new season high 3.2, was up 7% from last year. Dr. Phil and Live with Kelly & Michael each grew 11% from last year at this time and finished a tenth of a point behind Ellen, tied at a 3.1.

Other talk shows with year-to-year improvement were: Steve Harvey, up 6% to a 1.9 in households and a new season high 1.1 in the key women 25-54 sales demo; Wendy Williams, up the most with a 31% gain to a 1.7 and a new season high 1.3 in the demo; and Steve Wilkos, up 7% to a 1.5 and up 11% to a 1.0 in the key demo.

Among the first-run syndication newcomers, recently renewed leader Hot Bench continued to shine, rising 7% week to week to a 1.6, its second-highest rating of the season. Bench was also first in total viewers with 2.168 million, and in the women 25-54 demo with a 0.9.

Meredith Vieira, which has already been green lit for next year, held steady at a 1.2; tying Celebrity Name Game in households with the shows posting 1.514 million and 1.704 million viewers, respectively.

In fourth place, The Real was up 10% to a new season high 1.1, and 1.44 million, while Judge Faith was unchanged at a 0.7 with 895,000.

Among magazines, Extra Weekend had the largest increase, surging 33% to a 0.8; while Entertainment Tonight ruled the category with a 3.4.

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

• Ellen DeGeneres (1.6, unchanged from the week before)
• Live with Kelly & Michael (1.5, -6%), tied with Dr. Phil (1.5, -6%)
• Maury (1.3, unchanged), tied with Wendy Williams (1.3, +8%)
• Steve Harvey (1.1, +10%)
• Steve Wilkos (1.0, +11%)

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. Ellen DeGeneres (WBDTD) 3.2 * +7%

2. Dr. Phil (CTD) 3.1 -3%

2. Live with Kelly & Michael (Disney-ABC) 3.1 NC

4. Maury (NBCU) 2.0 +5%

5. Steve Harvey (NBCU) 1.9 -5%

6. Wendy Williams (Debmar-Mercury) 1.7 NC

7. Steve Wilkos (NBCU) 1.5 +7%

8. Dr. Oz (Sony) 1.4 -13%

8. Rachael Ray (CTD) 1.4 -7%

10. Jerry Springer (NBCU) 1.3 NC

11. Queen Latifah (Sony) 1.0 -9%

11. The Doctors (CTD) 1.0 -9%

13. The Better Show (Meredith) 0.2 NC

ROOKIES

1. Hot Bench (CTD) 1.6 +7%

2. Celebrity Name Game (Debmar-Mercury/FMNA) 1.2 NC

2. Meredith Vieira (NBCU) 1.2 NC

4. The Real (WBDTD) 1.1* +10%

5. Judge Faith (Trifecta) 0.7 NC

INTERNET VIDEO

1. Right This Minute (MGM) 1.6 -6%

COURT SHOWS

1. Judge Judy (CTD) 6.8 -4%

2. People’s Court (WBDTD) 1.6 -6%

3. Divorce Court (Twentieth) 1.5 NC

4. Judge Mathis (WBDTD) 1.3 -7%

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

MAGAZINE SHOWS

1. Entertainment Tonight (CTD) 3.4 NC

2. Inside Edition (CTD) 3.2 +3%

3. TMZ (WBDTD) 2.0 NC

4. Access Hollywood (NBCU) 1.7 -6%

5. Extra (WBDTD) 1.6 -6%

6. The Insider (CTD) 1.3 NC

7. Dish Nation (Twentieth) 1.1 +10%

8. OK! TV (Trifecta) 0.2 NC

GAME SHOWS

1. Wheel of Fortune (CTD) 7.3 +1%

2. Jeopardy (CTD) 6.8 -1%

3. Family Feud (Debmar-Mercury) 6.3 NC

4. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (Disney-ABC) 1.7** -6%

OFF-NET SITCOMS

1. Big Bang Theory (WBDTD) 6.0 NC

2. Modern Family (Twentieth) 4.2 +2%

3. Two and a Half Men (WBDTD) 3.1 NC

4. Family Guy (Twentieth) 2.5 NC

5. How I Met Your Mother (Twentieth) 2.4 -4%

5. Mike and Molly (WBDTD) 2.4 NC

7. Seinfeld (Sony) 2.0 NC

8. The Cleveland Show (Twentieth) 1.8 -5%

9. King of the Hill (Twentieth) 1.6 NC

10. The Middle (WBDTD) 1.3 -13%

OFF-NET WEEKLY HOURS

1. Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBCU) 4.4 -6%

2. Law & Order: SVU (NBCU) 4.2 +8%

3. Castle (Disney-ABC) 2.3 +10%

4. Blue Bloods (CTD) 2.2 -12%

5. Scandal (Disney-ABC) 1.7 -11%

5. The Mentalist (WBDTD) 1.7 -6%