Pretty Flat Week For Many Syndies

Most syndicated shows were little changed in the session ending Oct. 23 as many producers conserved their ammo in the last full week before the key November sweep. Still, there were a few strong performers.

Dr. Phil topped the talk shows for the seventh week in a row with a steady 3.3 live-plus-same-day national Nielsen rating, and grew 14% from last year, the most of anything in the category. Phil also out-performed the talkers among women 25-54 with a 1.6 in the key demo.

Live with Kelly was the best of the rest with a stable 2.4 household rating, followed by Ellen DeGeneres in third place with an unchanged 2.3.

Crime Watch Daily scored a double-digit increase and had the honor of being the only one of 14 talkers gaining ground week to week, improving 11% to a 1.0. Crime Watch Daily also rose 11% year to year, the category’s second-largest annual increase behind only Dr. Phil.

Newcomer Harry held firm at a 1.2 in its sixth week, and hit its highest ratings yet in five metered markets, including Providence, R.I., where it surged 350% over its year-ago time period average.

Judge Judy was the only courtroom in the plus column, strengthening 3% to a 6.9 and taking the No. 1 spot in syndication overall for the 12^th straight week.

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

• Dr. Phil (1.6, unchanged from the week before)
• Live with Kelly (1.2, unchanged), tied with Ellen DeGeneres (1.2, unchanged)
• Maury (1.0, unchanged)
• Wendy Williams (0.9, -10%) 
• Steve Wilkos (0.8, unchanged), tied with Steve Harvey (0.8, unchanged) and Jerry Springer (0.8, 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 NC

2. Live with Kelly (Disney-ABC) 2.4 NC

3. Ellen DeGeneres (WBDTD) 2.3 NC

4. Steve Harvey (NBCU) 1.6 NC

5. Maury (NBCU) 1.5 -6%

5. Wendy Williams (Debmar-Mercury) 1.5 NC

7. Rachael Ray (CTD) 1.3 NC

7. Jerry Springer (NBCU) 1.3 NC

9. Dr. Oz (Sony) 1.2 NC

9. Steve Wilkos (NBCU) 1.2 -8%

11. Crime Watch Daily with Chris Hansen (WBDTD) 1.0 +11%

12. The Real (WBDTD) 0.8 -11%

12. The Doctors (CTD) 0.8 NC

DAYTIME ROOKIE SHOWS

1. Harry (NBCU) 1.2 NC

COURT SHOWS

1. Judge Judy (CTD) 6.9 +3%

2. Hot Bench (CTD) 2.2 -4%

3. People’s Court (WBDTD) 1.5** -6%

4. Judge Mathis (WBDTD) 1.3 NC

5. Divorce Court (Twentieth) 1.0 NC

6. Judge Faith (Trifecta) 0.7 -13%

GAME SHOWS

1. Family Feud (Debmar-Mercury/FMNA) 6.5 -2%

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

3. Jeopardy (CTD) 5.7 NC

4. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (Disney-ABC) 1.6 +7%

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

INTERNET VIDEO

1. Right This Minute (Disney-ABC) 1.5 +7%

MAGAZINE SHOWS

1. Entertainment Tonight (CTD) 3.2 NC

2. Inside Edition (CTD) 2.8 +4%

3. TMZ (WBDTD) 1.5 NC

3. Access Hollywood (NBCU) 1.5 -6%

5. Extra (WBDTD) 1.3 -7%

6. The Insider (CTD) 1.1 NC

7. Dish Nation (Twentieth) 0.7 NC

8. Celebrity Page (Trifecta) 0.3 NC

OFF-NET SITCOMS

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

2. Modern Family (Twentieth) 2.9* +4%

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

4. Family Guy (Twentieth) 1.9 NC

5. Mike and Molly (WBDTD) 1.7 -6%

6. Two Broke Girls (WBDTD) 1.6 -11%

7. Last Man Standing (Twentieth) 1.5 -6%

8. The Cleveland Show (Twentieth) 1.4 NC

9. King of the Hill (Twentieth) 1.3 NC

10. How I Met Your Mother (Twentieth) 1.2 NC

10. Seinfeld (Sony) 1.2 NC

10. The Middle (WBDTD) 1.2 -8%

OFF-NET WEEKLY HOUR DRAMAS

1. Law & Order: SVU (NBCU) 4.2 NC

2. Blue Bloods (CTD) 1.9 -10%

3. The Closer (WBDTD)

3. Castle (Disney-ABC) 1.4 NC

3. CSI Miami (CTD) 1.4 -7%

3. American Ninja (NBCU) 1.4 +8%

6. Person of Interest (WBDTD) 1.1 NC

6. Rizzoli & Isles (WBDTD) 1.1 NC

6. Elementary (CTD) 1.1 +10

6. Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD (Disney-ABC) 1.1 +22

6. Major Crimes (WBDTD) 1.1 +22