Strong Week For Both ‘Judy’ And ‘Phil’

Live with Regis and Kelly (Disney-ABC) hit its highest ratings of the season in Regis Philbin’s next-to-last week, but it was still not enough to overtake talk show leader Dr. Phil (CTD). Phil extended its winning streak, taking the No.1 spot among talkers for the eighth time in nine weeks (including one tie) in the session ending Nov. 13, which marked the second week of the November sweep.

Phil clocked its second biggest week of the season, improving 6% from the prior frame, and 10% from last year,  to a 3.3 in households. The show also scored double-digit increases in every key female demo.

Live gained 3% to a season best 3.0; Dr. Oz (Sony) sank 4% to a 2.7; Ellen DeGeneres (WBDTD) added 4% to a new season high 2.5; Maury (NBCU) declined 4% to a 2.3; Rachael Ray (CTD) remained at its season high 1.7; while The Doctors (CTD) climbed 7% to a 1.6.

Court Shows

Judge Judy (CTD) presided over the court shows, surging 6% week to week and 57% year to year to a new season high 7.2. Judy also surged 42% among women 18-34. Judge Joe Brown (CTD) held steady at a 2.8; People’s Court (WBDTD) picked up 5% to a 2.1; Judge Alex (Twentieth) added 6% to a 1.7; while Judge Mathis (WBDTD) was flat at a 1.6.

Magazine Shows

In access, Entertainment Tonight (CTD) and its sister show, The Insider (CTD), both scored new season highs with coverage of the verdict in the trial of Michael Jackson’s doctor, Conrad Murray. ET jumped 5% from the week before to a season record 4.1 in households, and 14% in the women 25-54 demo, while The Insider rose 6% to a season-best 1.8 in households, and 20% among women 18-34.

Inside Edition (CTD) tacked on 3% to a 3.2; Access Hollywood (NBCU) dipped 5% from its season high in the previous session to a 2.0; TMZ (WBDTD) also dropped 5% to a 2.0; and Extra (WBDTD) gave back 6% to a 1.7 after a 20% ratings spike to a new high the week before.

Game Shows

Wheel of Fortune (CTD) was up 4% to a new season high 7.6 and ruled the game shows. Jeopardy (CTD) inched up 3% to a new season high 6.3; Family Feud (Debmar-Mercury) was up 7% to a new season high 3.2; while Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (Disney-ABC) slipped 4% to a 2.5.

Freshmen Shows

Among newcomers, Anderson (WBDTD), which was preempted in Los Angeles by news coverage of the Murray verdict, eased 7% from its season high in the prior week to a 1.3.

Jeremy Kyle (Debmar-Mercury) gained 20% to a new season high 0.6; while We the People with Gloria Allred (Entertainment Studios) weakened 20% to a 0.4. Excused (CTD), a new latenight dating show, held steady at its season high 0.7.

Rookie off-net sitcom Big Bang Theory (WBDTD) picked up 5 from the week before to a new season high 6.0. 30 Rock (NBCU), which airs in mostly lower-rated, late fringe time slots, strengthened 8% to a 1.4 in households and shot up 22% among women 18-34. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Twentieth) skidded 8% to a 1.2, while Till Death (Sony) rose 17% to a 0.7.

Slow rollout Access Hollywood Live (NBCU), which is not yet nationally rated, held steady week to week at a 0.9 rating/3 share in its metered markets, while seeing double-digit year-to-year growth in each of the top three DMAs.

Off-Net Sitcoms

Among the veteran off-net sitcoms, Two and a Half Men (WBDTD) finished 6% ahead of the prior week at a 6.6. Family Guy (Twentieth) gained 11% to a 4.0; How I Met Your Mother (Twentieth) was unchanged at a 3.3; Seinfeld (Sony) moved up 4% to a 2.5; Friends (WBDTD) also added 4% to a 2.4, tying Everybody Loves Raymond (CTD), which remained at a 2.4.

Off-Net Weekly Hours

Law & Order (NBCU) led the off-net weekly hours with a 17% leap to a new season high 3.5. Criminal Minds (CTD) was up 3% to a second-place 3.1; The Closer (WBDTD) climbed 9% to a new season high 2.5; Monk (NBCU) fell 4% to a 2.4; while Cold Case (WBDTD) gained 10% to a 2.3, tying Without a Trace (WBDTD), which was flat at a 2.3.