‘Wheel’ Rolls Down Into Third Among Games

If the answer is: “Almost always finishes behind “Wheel of Fortune” then the question is “What is ‘Jeopardy’?”

For the week of July 2, for the first time this season, that answer would have been wrong. Sturdy war horse “Wheel” fell to third place for the week among syndicated game shows, finishing behind leader “Family Feud” which has led the category for more than 60 weeks, and then “Jeopardy.”

“Feud” scored a weekly 6.2 live/same day Nielsen rating, compared to a 5.5 rating for “Jeopardy” and a 5.3 for “Wheel,” down 4% from the week before and 9% over last year. For decades, “Wheel”  ruled the syndicated game show market, and when it did, “Jeopardy” seemed to be always be just a little behind it.

Daytime talk shows were fairly snoozy for the week leading to the Independence Day holiday, with most ratings unchanged or down, and many of the shows in reruns.

 “Dr. Phil” continued to dominate, topping the list for the 43rd consecutive week, with a 2.7 rating, down 10% from the week before but up 8% from last year. “Live with Kelly & Ryan” was second for the fifth week in a row with a 2.0, steady from the week before. Number 3 “Ellen DeGeneres was down 6% over the week before, notching a season-low 1.6 rating. The show was in reruns.

 Top talkers in the target 25-54 female demo were: “Dr Phil” with a 1.1, down 8%, followed by “Live with Kelly & Ryan” and “Wendy Williams” (both 0.9) and “Maury,” (0.8). “Ellen DeGeneres” with a 0.7 tied “Steve Wilkos.”

 Among the court shows,” Judge Judy” continued to show no mercy to the rest of the field, ranking as the highest rated syndicated show of any kind for the fourth week in a row and 13 of the last 14 week. With only one new episode among the five for the week, the show earned a 6.4 rating, down 2%, but still better than all the rest.

Among the magazine shows, nothing big popped out but “Entertainment Tonight” beat the competition with a 2.6 rating, a season low, and down 7% from the previous period.

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) 2.7  -10%

2. Live with Kelly and Ryan (Disney-ABC) 2.0  NC

3. Ellen DeGeneres (WBDTD) 1.6** -6%

4. Maury (NBCU) 1.5 NC

5. Wendy Williams (Debmar-Mercury)  1.4  +8%

6.  Steve Harvey (NBCU) 1.3  -7%

7. Jerry Springer (NBCU) 1.2 -8%

7. Steve Wilkos (NBCU) 1.2 NC

9.  Dr. Oz (Sony) 1.1  NC

10 Rachael Ray (CTD) 1.0 NC

11.  Crime Watch Daily with Chris Hansen (WBDTD) 0.9 NC

12.  The Doctors (CTD) 0.8 +14%

13. The Real (WBDTD) 0.7 NC

DAYTIME ROOKIE SHOWS

1. Harry (NBCU) 0.8  -11%

COURT SHOWS

1. Judge Judy (CTD) 6.4 -2%

2. Hot Bench (CTD) 2.2 NC

3. People’s Court (WBDTD) 1.5 -6%

4. Judge Mathis (WBDTD) 1.1 -8%

5. Divorce Court (Twentieth) 0.9 -10%

6. Judge Faith (Trifecta) 0.8  +14%

GAME SHOWS

1. Family Feud (Debmar-Mercury/FMNA) 6.2 -3%

2. Jeopardy (CTD) 5.5  NC

2.  Wheel of Fortune (CTD) 5.3 -4%

4. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (Disney-ABC) 1.6 -6%

5. Celebrity Name Game (Debmar-Mercury/FMNA) 1.1 +10%

INTERNET VIDEO

1. Right This Minute (Disney-ABC) 1.3 -7%

MAGAZINE SHOWS

1. Entertainment Tonight (CTD) 2.6** -7%

2. Inside Edition (CTD) 2.4 -4%

3. TMZ (WBDTD) 1.3  -7%

4. Access Hollywood (NBCU) 1.2 -8%

5. Extra (WBDTD) 1.1 NC

6. The Insider (CTD)  0.9 -10%

7. Dish Nation (Twentieth) 0.6 -14%

8. Celebrity Page (Trifecta) 0.3 NC

OFF-NET SITCOMS

1. Big Bang Theory (WBDTD) 4.8 +2%

2. Modern Family (Twentieth) 2.5 -4%

3. Two and a Half Men (WBDTD) 2.2 NC

4. Family Guy (Twentieth) 1.8 -5%

5. Last Man Standing (Twentieth) 1.6 +7%

5. Mike and Molly (WBDTD) 1.6 +7%

7. Two Broke Girls (WBDTD) 1.4 NC

8. The Cleveland Show (Twentieth) 1.2 -8%

9. Seinfeld (Sony) 1.2 NC

9. How I Met Your Mother (Twentieth) 1.2 NC

OFF-NET WEEKLY HOUR DRAMAS

1. Law & Order: SVU (NBCU) 4.2 NC

2. American Ninja Warrior (NBCU) 2.1 -16%

3. Blue Bloods (CTD) 1.7  NC

4. CSI Miami (CTD) 1.4  NC

4. Castle (Disney-ABC) 1.4 +8%

6. Rizzoli & Isles (WBDTD) 1.1 NC

6. Scandal (Disney-ABC) 1.1. +38%