New Season Ratings Highs Abound

The week ending Jan. 16 was a week to remember for Dr. Phil (CTD). The top-rated TV doc scored his highest rating in nearly two years, a 3.4, which was up 21% from the week before and up 17% from last year.

Phil’s biggest draw of the week was a show on Ted Williams, the homeless man with the golden voice, which surged 32% to a 3.7 on Jan. 12. Meanwhile, Phil had been on a ratings roll of late, surging 48% over the past three weeks.

Talk Shows

Other talkers putting in new season highs in what was a hot week for syndication included Dr. Oz (Sony), which rose 8% to a 2.7; The Doctors (CTD), which jumped 5% to a 2.0 in households and 17% among women 18-34; and Rachael Ray (CTD), which improved 6% to a 1.8 in households and leaped 40 among women 18-34.

The soon-to-conclude Oprah (CTD) continued to lead the talk shows, adding 10% to a 4.6. Live was third, following second-place Phil with a 4% gain to a 2.9; Ellen DeGeneres (WBDTD) up 4% to a 2.5; and Maury (NBCU) climbed 5% to a 2.1.

Judge Judy (CTD) was the queen of daytime for the seventh week in a row, ascending 4% from the week before to a 4.9, its second straight new season high and its best rating since mid-February of last year. Oprah was a distant No. 2 with 6.289 million viewers, trailing Judy’s 7.049 million.

Court Shows

The only other gaveler notching a new season high was second-place Judge Joe Brown (CTD), which spiked 10% to a 2.2 and rolled to double-digit increases in every key female demo.

People’s Court (WBDTD) added 5% to a 2.0; Judge Mathis (WBDTD) climbed 6% to a 1.7; and Judge Alex (Twentieth) advanced 15% to a 1.5.

First-Run Freshmen

Among rookies, Swift Justice with Nancy Grace (CTD) topped the freshmen field for the 18^th consecutive week, rallying 8% from the previous session to a 1.4; Nate Berkus (Sony) and Don’t Forget the Lyrics (Twentieth) were flat at 1.1 and 0.8, respectively; Judge Karen’s Court (Litton) was up 17% to a 0.7; and America’s Court with Judge Ross (Entertainment Studios) averaged a 0.4.

Magazine Shows

Entertainment Tonight (CTD) ruled the magazines with a new season high 4.4, up 2% from the prior week after seeing a 16% jump to a 5.0 on Jan. 11. Inside Edition (CTD) picked up 10% to a new season high 3.3; Access Hollywood (NBCU) dipped 5% to a 2.0; TMZ (WBDTD) was up 11% to a 2.0; The Insider (CTD) held steady at a 1.8; while Extra (WBDTD) eased 6% to a 1.7.

Game Shows

Among games, three shows registered new season highs: Wheel of Fortune (CTD) tacked on 4% from the prior week to an 8.1; Wheel of Fortune (CTD) upticked 3% to a 6.6; and Who Wants to be a Millionaire (Disney-ABC) grew 4% to a 2.4.

Family Feud (Debmar-Mercury) was up 6% to a 1.9 and Are You Smarter Than a 5^th Grader? (Twentieth) was promoted to a 1.1, up 10%.

Off-Net Sitcoms

Off-net sitcoms hugged the flat line with leader Two and a Half Men (WBDTD), Family Guy (Twentieth) and Everybody Loves Raymond (CTD) unchanged at 6.2, 4.1 and 3.0, respectively. My Wife and Kids (Disney-ABC) dropped 3% to a 2.9 while Seinfeld (Sony) held steady at a 2.7.

Off-Net Freshmen

Among the new off-net and off-cable strips, How I Met Your Mother (Twentieth) was up 4% to a 2.6; The New Adventures of Old Christine (WBDTD) gained 8% to a 1.4; Meet the Browns (Debmar-Mercury) lost 7% to a 1.3; while Real Housewives (NBCU) was up 20% in households to a 0.6 and up 25% in both the women 18-49 and women 25-54 demos. Both Curb Your Enthusiasm (WBDTD) and Entourage (WBDTD) fell 14% to a 0.6.

Off-Net Weekly Hours

Among weeklies, Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBCU) took over the lead with a 10% hike to a 3.2. Criminal Minds (CTD) fell to second place with an unchanged 3.0; Monk (NBCU) ballooned 18% to a 2.6; Without a Trace (WBDTD) slipped 4% to a 2.4; while Numbers (CTD) subtracted 8% to a 2.2 and the The Closer (WBDTD) tumbled 13% to a 2.0.