Solid Week For Syndie Game Shows

Dr. Phil ignited in the session ending Jan. 29, surging 23% to a 3.7 live-plus-same-day national Nielsen rating, and leading the talk shows by a wide margin in the last full week before sweeps.

In addition, Phil was the only talker ahead of last year at this time, improving 12% and outscoring the chat pack for the 21^st week in a row.

Live with Kelly was the second-highest talk show, holding steady at a 2.5 and breaking a three-week tie with Ellen DeGeneres. Ellen fell 4% to a third-place 2.4.

In other daytime news:

• Courtroom star Hot Bench matched its highest rating ever with a 4% advance to a 2.6.
• Wendy Williams rose 6% to a new season high 1.7, tying a flat Steve Harvey for fourth place in talk.
• The Real hit a new season high 1.1 with a 38 bump, tying newcomer Harry, which held steady at a 1.1 and averaged almost 1.5 million daily viewers in just its 20^th week on the air.

In access, Entertainment Tonight was the only magazine to get a ratings lift from its extensive reports on the life and death of TV icon Mary Tyler Moore, growing 9% to a first-place 3.6, and topping the mags for the 26^th straight week.

Elsewhere, Family Feud added 7% to a 7.6 and continued to outplay the game shows for the 40^th consecutive week.

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

• Dr. Phil (1.7, +21% from the week before)
• Ellen DeGeneres (1.2, -8%), tied with Live with Kelly (1.2, unchanged) and Wendy Williams (1.2, +9%)
• Maury (1.0, -9%)

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) 3.7 +23%

2. Live with Kelly (Disney-ABC) 2.5 NC

3. Ellen DeGeneres (WBDTD) 2.4 -4%

4. Steve Harvey (NBCU) 1.7 NC

4. Wendy Williams (Debmar-Mercury) 1.7* +6%

6. Maury (NBCU) 1.6 NC

7. Rachael Ray (CTD) 1.3 -7%

7. Steve Wilkos (NBCU) 1.3 NC

7. Jerry Springer (NBCU) 1.3 -7%

10. Dr. Oz (Sony) 1.2 -14%

11. The Real (WBDTD) 1.1* +38%

12. Crime Watch Daily with Chris Hansen (WBDTD) 1.0 NC

13. The Doctors (CTD) 0.9 NC

DAYTIME ROOKIE SHOWS

1. Harry (NBCU) 1.1 NC

COURT SHOWS

1. Judge Judy (CTD) 7.4 -4%

2. Hot Bench (CTD) 2.6 +4%

3. People’s Court (WBDTD) 1.8 +13%

4. Judge Mathis (WBDTD) 1.3 -7%

5. Divorce Court (Twentieth) 1.1 NC

6. Judge Faith (Trifecta) 0.8 NC

GAME SHOWS

1. Family Feud (Debmar-Mercury/FMNA) 7.6 +7%

2. Wheel of Fortune (CTD) 7.0 +6%

3. Jeopardy (CTD) 6.7 +8%

4. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (Disney-ABC) 1.8 +6%

5. Celebrity Name Game (Debmar-Mercury/FMNA) 1.4 +8%

INTERNET VIDEO

1. Right This Minute (Disney-ABC) 1.5 NC

MAGAZINE SHOWS

1. Entertainment Tonight (CTD) 3.6 +9%

2. Inside Edition (CTD) 3.2 NC

3. TMZ (WBDTD) 1.7 NC

4. Access Hollywood (NBCU) 1.5 NC

5. Extra (WBDTD) 1.3 NC

6. The Insider (CTD) 1.2 NC

7. Dish Nation (Twentieth) 0.8 NC

8. Celebrity Page (Trifecta) 0.3 NC

OFF-NET SITCOMS

1. Big Bang Theory (WBDTD) 5.9 NC

2. Modern Family (Twentieth) 3.2* +3%

3. Two and a Half Men (WBDTD) 2.5 -7%

4. Family Guy (Twentieth) 2.1 NC

5. Last Man Standing (Twentieth) 2.0 +5%

6. Mike and Molly (WBDTD) 1.9 -5%

7. Two Broke Girls (WBDTD) 1.8 NC

8. How I Met Your Mother (Twentieth) 1.4 +17%

9. The Middle (WBDTD) 1.3 +8%

10. Seinfeld (Sony) 1.2 -8%

10. The Cleveland Show (Twentieth) 1.2 NC

OFF-NET WEEKLY HOUR DRAMAS

1. Law & Order: SVU (NBCU) 4.7 -4%

2. Blue Bloods (CTD) 2.1 -5%

3. American Ninja Warrior (NBCU) 1.8 +6%

4. Castle (Disney-ABC) 1.6 +14%

4. CSI Miami (CTD) 1.6 -11%

6. Major Crimes (WBDTD) 1.4 +17%