Strong Week For ‘Phil’ And ‘Judy’

The week ending Oct. 28, which included the two weekdays of the November sweep, was strong for several first-run syndicated shows as producers strove to put their best foot forward in the important measurement period.

Talk Shows

In daytime, Dr. Phil (CTD) made it 7 weeks in a row atop the talkers with a 3% gain, both week to week and year to year to a 3.0, and widened its lead over the rest of the genre to its biggest margin since late September. It was one of three established talkers to improve both week to week and year to year. The others were Ellen (WBDTD) and Steve Wilkos Show (NBCU).

Live with Kelly and Michael (Disney-ABC) remained a strong second place in talk despite easing 4% from the previous week to a 2.5. Ellen jumped 9% from the week before and 4% from last year at this time to a 2.4; Dr. Oz (Sony) upticked 5% to a 2.3; Maury (NBCU) was steady at a 2.1; while Wilkos advanced 8%, both weekly and yearly, to a 1.4.

First-Run Freshmen

Rookie talkers were mostly stable week to week. Katie (Disney-ABC) maintained a solid lead with an unchanged 1.9 and rose 17% among women 18-49 to a 0.7. Steve Harvey (NBCU) kept its stranglehold on second place in the freshmen class, despite dipping one-tenth of a point, or 8%, to a 1.2. Jeff Probst (CTD) held firm at a 0.7; The Ricki Lake Show (Twentieth) was flat at a 0.7; and Trisha (NBCU), which is cleared on mostly lower-rated independent and CW stations, was steady at a 0.5.

Access Hollywood Live (NBCU) , the entertainment-oriented talk show that is being rolled out slowly, averaged 1.0/3 Nielsen Station Index rating/share in its 11 markets, which was on par with the week before and beat its November 2011 sweep performance by 11%. Among women 25-54 AHL posted a 0.8/6, up 14% over the previous session and up 33% over its November 2011 showing.

And Internet-based game show Let’s Ask America (WBDTD), which was steady week to week with a 1.7/4 in its seven metered markets, shot up 33% in the key women 25-54 demo to a 0.8/3.

Court Shows

Judge Judy (CTD) topped the court shows for the 841^st consecutive week with an 8% surge to a 6.7 and claimed the overall syndication crown for the fourth time this season. Judge Joe Brown (CTD) was second in the genre, after jumping 9% from the week before to a 2.5; People’s Court (WBDTD) bucked the uptrend, sliding 5% to a 1.8; while Judge Mathis (WBDTD) was flat at a 1.6.

Magazine Shows

A number of entertainment magazines scored gains in the face of heavy preemptions due to the third presidential debate on Oct. 22 and the World Series, which began Oct. 24.

Leader Entertainment Tonight (CTD) rose 3% both week to week and year to year to a 3.9, its highest rating of the season. Inside Edition (CTD) and TMZ (WBDTD) were on par with the prior frame at 3.0 and 1.6, respectively. Access Hollywood (NBCU)  grew 7% to a 1.6, tying TMZ. The Insider (CTD) held firm at a 1.5 and was tied by Extra (WBDTD), which strengthened 7% to a 1.5. Newcomer Dish Nation (Twentieth) was the sole exception, declining 11% to a 0.8,

Game Shows

Wheel of Fortune (CTD) led the games with a 6.6, which was up 2% from the week before, and finished second to Judy among all syndicated shows. Jeopardy (CTD) tacked on 5% to 6.0; Family Feud (Debmar-Mercury) backtracked 2% to a 4.1; Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (Disney-ABC) was flat at a 2.3; and newcomer Baggage (GSN) lost 9% to a 1.0.

Off-Net Sitcoms

Big Bang Theory (WBDTD) took first place among off-net sitcoms, climbing 9% from the prior session to a 6.2. Two and a Half Men (WBDTD) was unchanged at a 4.7; Family Guy (Twentieth) was flat at a 3.6; and How I Met Your Mother (Twentieth) forfeited 8% to a 2.3.

Off-Net Weekly Hours

Off-net weekly hours were led for the second week in a row by Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBCU), which slipped 3% to a 3.8. Sister series Law & Order (NBCU)  softened 7% to a 2.6, landing in a second-place tie with Criminal Minds (CTD), which advanced 8% to a 2.6. CSI: Miami (CTD) was flat at a 2.5 and was tied by House (NBCU), which spiked 9% to a 2.5.