Syndies Start Off February With A Bang

The February sweep got underway in the week ending Feb. 2 and ratings for most syndicated shows shifted into high gear.

Entertainment magazines were especially strong with extensive coverage of the Grammy Awards. In fact, the top five shows all matched or exceeded their season highs and grew from last year at this time.

Leader Entertainment Tonight hit a new high and gained 8% from last year. TMZ rose 5% year to year to a new high. Access Hollywood also jumped 5 from last year and equaled its best rating of the season; Extra had the largest year-to-year increase in the category, surging 19% from last year and scoring its highest rating in nearly three years; while The Insider climbed 14% year to year and matched its highest rating of the season.

In daytime, talk shows were smoking hot. Leader Dr. Phil clocked its highest rating in more than two years, surging 15% from the prior week and 22% from last year at this time to a first-place 3.9. Phil was also tops among women 25-54, gaining 15% in the key demo.

Runner-up Live with Kelly and Michael leaped 12% in the demo and shot up 21% from last year, while Ellen notched a new series high in third place.

Among the game shows, Family Feud climbed 3% week-to-week and 19% year to year in households and 6% in the women 25-54 demo from a week ago and 27% from a year earlier. It’s the second consecutive week that Feud set series-best ratings.

Other big gainers among the talk veterans included Maury, which was No. 1 in women 18-34; Steve Harvey, which raced to a new all-time high and ballooned 38% from last year, the largest increase of any talk show; Rachael Ray, Steve Wilkos and The Doctors.

Among the hot rookie talkers, Queen Latifah posted its highest in 19 weeks, while Bethenny had its best week yet, advancing 11% to a new series high and winning it time slots in four of the top 11 markets among women 18-49.

Judge Judy was the top-rated show overall in syndication with a new season high 8.2, and an 11% increase over the same week last year.

Another courtroom posting strong numbers was Divorce Court, which was up 43% in households and 50% among women 25-54 from a year ago and posted its third straight weekly gain.

Among the newcomers to off-net syndication, Community matched it season high in households and jumped 50% among adults 18-34, while Modern Family continued to lead the rookies, also matching its season high.

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

• Dr. Phil (2.3, +15% from the week before)
• Ellen (2.0, +5%)
• Live with Kelly and Michael (1.9, +12%)
• Dr. Oz (1.5, +7%), tied with Maury (1.5, +7%)
• Steve Harvey (1.4, +17%)
• Wendy Williams (1.3, unchanged)
• Steve Wilkos (1.1, +10%)

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) 3.9* +15%

2. Live with Kelly and Michael (Disney-ABC) 3.4 +6%

3. Ellen (WBDTD) 3.3* +6%

4. Dr. Oz (Sony) 2.4 NC

5. Maury (NBCU) 2.3 +5%

6. Steve Harvey (NBCU) 2.2* +10%

7. Katie (Disney-ABC) 1.9 +6%

8. Rachael Ray (CTD) 1.7 +6%

9. Wendy Williams (Debmar-Mercury) 1.6 -6%

9. Steve Wilkos (NBCU) 1.6 +7%

11. Jerry Springer (NBCU) 1.4 NC

11. The Doctors (CTD) 1.4 +8%

13. Queen Latifah (Sony) 1.3 +8%

14. Bethenny (WBDTD) 1.0* +11%

15. Arsenio (CTD) 0.7 NC

15. The Test (CTD) 0.7 NC

17. Trisha (NBCU) 0.6 NC

18. The Better Show (Meredith) 0.2 NC

FRESHMEN TALKERS

1. Queen Latifah (Sony) 1.3 +8%

2. Bethenny (WBDTD) 1.0* +11%

3. Arsenio (CTD) 0.7 NC

3. The Test (CTD) 0.7 NC

COURT SHOWS

1. Judge Judy (CTD) 8.2* +5%

2. People’s Court (WBDTD) 2.1* +5%

3. Divorce Court (Twentieth) 2.0* +5%

3. Judge Mathis (WBDTD) 1.9* +6%

3. Judge Alex (Twentieth) 1.8* +6%

6. Paternity Court (Orion Television) 1.2* +9%

MAGAZINE SHOWS

1. Entertainment Tonight (CTD) 4.1* +5%

2. Inside Edition (CTD) 3.2 -3%

3. TMZ (WBDTD) 2.2* +5%

4. Access Hollywood (NBCU) 2.0 NC

5. Extra (WBDTD) 1.9* +6%

6. The Insider (CTD) 1.6 +7%

7. Right This Minute (MGM) 1.3 NC

8. Dish Nation (Twentieth) 1.0 -9%

9. America Now (Trifecta) 0.5* +25%

10. OK! TV (Trifecta) 0.2 -33%

GAME SHOWS

1. Wheel of Fortune (CTD) 7.9 NC

2. Jeopardy (CTD) 7.2 -1%

3. Family Feud (Debmar-Mercury) 6.3* +3%

4. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (Disney-ABC) 2.2 -12%

OFF-NET SITCOMS

1. Big Bang Theory (WBDTD) 6.9* +3%

2. Modern Family (Twentieth) 5.1 NC

3. Two and a Half Men (WBDTD) 4.1 +2%

4. Family Guy (Twentieth) 3.0 NC

5. How I Met Your Mother (Twentieth) 2.3 NC

6. Friends (WBDTD) 2.0 NC

7. The Cleveland Show (Twentieth) 1.9 -5%

8. Seinfeld (Sony) 1.8 -10%

9. Rules of Engagement (Sony) 1.7 NC

9. The Middle (WBDTD) 1.7 NC

11. King of the Hill (Twentieth) 1.6 -6%

12. Community (Sony) 0.5 NC

OFF-NET WEEKLY HOURS

1. Law & Order: SVU (NBCU) 4.4 -2%

2. House (NBCU) 3.4 -23%

2. Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBCU) 3.4 -13%

4. Criminal Minds (CTD) 2.6 NC

5. CSI: Miami (CTD) 2.4 -4%

6. Castle (Disney-ABC) 2.2 NC