Reeg’s News Drives Up Mag Ratings

The Martin Luther King holiday week ending Jan. 23 was a good one for syndicated entertainment magazines covering news of Regis Philbin’s plans to leave his show after 28 years and his possible replacements on Live with Regis and Kelly (Disney-ABC).

Magazine Shows

Entertainment Tonight (CTD), the No. 1 mag, held onto its season high 4.4 rating, while its Entertainment Tonight Weekend jumped 11% to a 2.1. Access Hollywood (NBCU) improved 5% to a 2.1 in households, matching its previous season high, and surged 14% among women 18-34; TMZ (WBDTD) also grew 5% to a 2.1, tying Access and posting a new season high; The Insider (CTD) climbed 6% to a 1.9, its best performance in 11 weeks; and Extra (WBDTD) advanced 6% to a 1.8 in households, equaling its season high, and spiked 13% among women 18-39.

Inside Edition (CTD) was the sole show in the category to decline, slipping 6% from the week before to a 3.1. Compared to last year, however, only The Insider was up, growing 12%.

Talk Shows

Live increased 3% from the prior frame to a new season high 3.0 on Tuesday, Jan. 18, as Philbin announced his impending departure from the show he created. Ironically, the show’s highest ratings of the week came on Friday, Jan. 21, a day on which Philbin was replaced as co-host by Ashton Kutcher.

The soon-to-conclude Oprah (CTD), whose host took her show and her studio audience to Australia for most of the week, continued to lead the talkers, gaining 9% to a 5.0.

Dr. Phil (CTD) gave back 15% to a 2.9 after hitting a nearly two-year high in the prior session. Dr. Oz (Sony) inched up 4% to a new season high 2.8; Ellen DeGeneres (WBDTD) dropped 4 to a 2.4; and Maury (NBCU) rose 5% to a 2.2.

Court Shows

Among court shows, Judge Joe Brown (CTD), which has been the No. 2 courtroom for 628 weeks in a row (including ties), scored its second straight new season high with a 5% hike to a 2.3, its best rating in 46 weeks. Leader Judge Judy (CTD) dipped 4% to a 4.7 after hitting a new high in the prior week. People’s Court (WBDTD), Judge Mathis (WBDTD) and Judge Alex (Twentieth) were all flat at 2.0, 1.7 and 1.5, respectively.

Game Shows

Game shows were mostly weaker. Wheel of Fortune (CTD) lost 1% to a 8.0; Jeopardy (CTD) fell 2% to a 6.5; Who Wants to be a Millionaire (Disney-ABC) was unchanged at a 2.4; Family Feud (Debmar-Mercury) fell 5% to a 1.8; and Are You Smarter Than a 5^th Grader? (Twentieth) skidded 9% to a 1.0.

First-Run Freshmen

Among rookies, Swift Justice with Nancy Grace (CTD) continued to lead the freshmen despite a 7% slip to a 1.3. Nate Berkus (Sony) was unchanged at a 1.1; Don’t Forget the Lyrics (Twentieth) was up 13% to a 0.9; Judge Karen’s Court (Litton) slid 14% to a 0.6; and America’s Court with Judge Ross (Entertainment Studios) tumbled 25% to a 0.3.

Off-Net Sitcoms

Among sitcoms, leader Two and a Half Men (WBDTD) held steady at a 6.2; Family Guy (Twentieth) edged ahead 2% to a 4.2; Everybody Loves Raymond (CTD) was flat at a 3.0; Seinfeld (Sony) advanced 4% to a 2.8; while My Wife and Kids (Disney-ABC) dropped 7% to a 2.7.

Off-Net Freshmen

Among the new off-net and off-cable strips, How I Met Your Mother (Twentieth) weakened 4% to a 2.5; The New Adventures of Old Christine (WBDTD) was down 7% to a 1.3; Meet the Browns (Debmar-Mercury) was flat at a 1.3; while both Curb Your Enthusiasm (WBDTD) and Entourage (WBDTD) gained 17% to 0.7s and Real Housewives (NBCU) held firm at a 0.6.

Off-Net Weekly Hours

Among weeklies, Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBCU) led for the second straight week with a steady 3.2; Criminal Minds (CTD) softened 3% to a 2.9; Numbers (CTD) added 9% to a 2.4; Monk (NBCU) fell 12% to a 2.3; Without a Trace (WBDTD) wiped out 13% to a 2.1, tying Bones (Twentieth), which was up 17% to a  2.1.