Watson Is Elementary To ‘Jeopardy’ Success

Watson, the IBM supercomputer took Jeopardy (CTD) to its highest ratings in four years in the week ending Feb. 20, which overlapped the second week of the February sweep. Meanwhile, declining PUT levels pulled most other shows lower.

Game Shows

Jeopardy jumped 11% from the week before to a 7.2, its biggest number since the week ending Feb. 18, 2007. However, the show’s audience declined by more than 2 million viewers from the three days that Watson competed to the two subsequent days in which only humans played the game and rating fell from a 7.9 to a 6.1 average.

Ratings for other games were dull. Wheel of Fortune (CTD) slipped 5% 7 to a 7.5; Who Wants to be a Millionaire (Disney-ABC) dropped 4% to a 2.2; Family Feud (Debmar-Mercury) fell 11% to a 1.6; and Are You Smarter Than a 5^th Grader? (Twentieth) sank 10% to a 0.9.

Talk Shows

In daytime, the only talk show in the top five was to hold its own was Dr. Phil (CTD), which took second place, holding steady at a 3.1, its second-highest rating of the season. The soon-to-conclude Oprah (CTD) led, but was down 2% from the week before to a 5.6. Live with Regis and Kelly (Disney-ABC) faded 16% to a 2.6, its lowest rating since host host Regis Philbin announced his intention to leave the show; Dr. Oz (Sony) declined 8% to a 2.3; and Ellen DeGeneres (WBDTD) tumbled 15% to a 2.2.

First-Run Freshmen

In rookie action, Swift Justice with Nancy Grace (CTD) continued to lead the first-run newcomers, despite dipping 7% from the previous week to a 1.3. Nate Berkus (Sony) was flat at a 1.0; Don’t Forget the Lyrics (Twentieth) hit a new season low, dropping 13% to a 0.7; while Judge Karen’s Court (Litton) and America’s Court with Judge Ross (Entertainment Studios) were both flat at 0.6 and 0.3, respectively.

Access Hollywood Live (NBCU), which is being rolled out slowly, notched a 1.1 rating/4 share in its 13 metered markets for the first three weeks of the sweep, that was up 10% in households over its year-ago time periods and up 50% over last year among women 18-49.

Court Shows

Among court shows, Judge Judy (CTD) more than doubled the ratings of its nearest rivals, averaging a 4.5, which was off 4% week to week. Judge Joe Brown (CTD) was down 10% to a 1.9; People’s Court (WBDTD) was unchanged at a 1.9; Judge Mathis (WBDTD) weakened 6% to a 1.6; Divorce Court (Twentieth) slid 14% to a 1.2; Judge Alex (Twentieth) skidded to a new season low 1.1, losing 21%; and Judge Jeanine Piero (WBDTD) trailed with a 1.0, down 9%.

Magazine Shows

In magazine news, Entertainment Tonight (CTD) was awarded the biggest Oscar coverage ratings in syndication Monday night, with a new season high 5.5 rating/9 share in the metered markets, topping its nearest entertainment mag rival Access Hollywood (NBCU)’s 2.8/6 by a 96% margin.

Back in the nationals for the week ending Feb. 20, every magazine was lower, with the exception of The Insider (CTD), which held firm at a 1.8. Leader ET eased 9% to a 3.9; Inside Edition (CTD) erased 12% to a 2.9; Access Hollywood fell 10% to a 1.9; TMZ (WBDTD) also fell 10% to a 1.9; and Extra (WBDTD) dipped 6% to a 1.6.

Off-Net Sitcoms

Among off-net sitcoms, leader Two and a Half Men (WBDTD) was off 2% to a 6.0; Family Guy (Twentieth) was flat at a 4.0; Everybody Loves Raymond (CTD) softened 3% to a 2.8; while My Wife and Kids (Disney-ABC) added 13% to a 2.7; and Seinfeld (Sony) was down 4% to a 2.6.

Off-Net Freshmen

Among the new off-net and off-cable strips, How I Met Your Mother (Twentieth) was unchanged at a 2.5; The New Adventures of Old Christine (WBDTD) yielded 8% to a 1.2; Meet the Browns (Debmar-Mercury) was down 9% to a new season low 1.0; while Entourage (WBDTD) and Curb Your Enthusiasm (WBDTD) both grew 17% to 0.7s.

Off-Net Weekly Hours

Among weekly hours, Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBCU) regained the lead with a 7% advance to a 2.9. Criminal Minds (CTD) slipped to second place with a 21% plunge to a 2.7. Four shows tied for third place at a 2.2: The Closer (WBDTD) jumped 22%, Bones (Twentieth) gained 10%, Monk (NBCU) was flat and Numbers (CTD) was down 4%.