Syndication Ratings: ‘Dr. Phil’ Is Week's Sole Strip to Improve

Dr. Phil
Dr. Phil is sole strip to improve in syndication in week ended April 4. (Image credit: CBS Media Ventures)

Dr. Phil was the only syndicated strip in the week ended April 4 to improve, adding 7% to a 1.6 live plus same day national household rating, according to Nielsen Media Research, tying Disney’s Live with Kelly and Ryan for first place in talk. 

Live, which had been the sole top talker for the prior four weeks, gave back 11% with repackaged episodes all week as it took its spring production hiatus.

Among daytime’s key demographic of women 25-54, Live was talk’s sole leader at a 0.7.

Also Read: ‘Live’ Leads Talk for First Time in its 33-Year History

Every other talker finished below a 1.0, thanks in part to getting dunked by the NCAA’s March Madness college basketball tournament on CBS and by being bumped by a rain-delayed NASCAR race on Fox on March 29. Some shows also were blown out by coverage of opening arguments in the Derek Chauvin trial on March 29 as well as coverage of the attack on a checkpoint at the U.S. Capitol on April 2. 

Tying for third place were NBCUniversal’s conflict talker Maury, which slid 10% to a 0.9, matching its series low, and Debmar-Mercury’s Wendy Williams, which also weakened 10%. 

Warner Bros.’ Elen DeGeneres tied for fifth with NBCU’s sophomore Kelly Clarkson, with Ellen eroding 11% to a new series-low 0.8 while Kelly held steady. 

Right behind, three shows tied at a 0.7: Disney’s Tamron Hall, NBCU’s Steve Wilkos and CBS Media Ventures' Rachael Ray, all of which retreated 13% and which marked a series low for Rachael.

Sony Pictures Television’s Dr. Oz remained at a 0.6, matching its series low. CMV’s recently renewed rookie Drew Barrymore backtracked 17% to a 0.5. 

Also Read: ‘Drew Barrymore’ Officially Renewed for Season Two

Warner Bros.’ The Real, CMV’s The Doctors and NBCU’s out-of-production syndicated version of Jerry Springer all were on par with their prior week’s 0.4, 0.2 and 0.2, respectively, with The Doctors operating at a series low for a sixth straight week and Springer stuck at its series low for the 30th consecutive week.

Debmar-Mercury’s Family Feud, which fell 6% to a 5.1, led the games and all of syndication for a third straight week.

CMV’s Jeopardy!, with a second round of Dr. Mehmet Oz at the podium, also skidded 6% to a 4.9, the game show’s lowest rating since the week ended Dec. 27, 2020, and the show’s fourth straight weekly decline. That tied sister show Wheel of Fortune, which was flat.

Fox’s 25 Words or Less logged a series-low 0.7 for a fifth straight week. Entertainment Studios’ Funny You Should Ask stayed at its series-low 0.4 for a sixth consecutive week.

Disney’s internet video show RightThisMinute also held at its series-low 0.6 for a second week.

CMV’s magazine leaders Inside Edition and Entertainment Tonight both lost ground, with Inside Edition easing 4% to a 2.2 and Entertainment Tonight ebbing 5% to a 2.0.

NBCU’s recently renewed Access Hollywood, Warner Bros.’ TMZ and Extra, CTD’s DailyMailTV and Fox’s Dish Nation all held steady, despite preemptions, at a 0.9, 0.8, 0.7, 0.6 and 0.3, respectively.

Also Read: ‘Access Hollywood,’ ‘Access Daily’ Renewed Through 2025

CMV’s Judge Judy was unable to air its primary run in six of the top 15 markets on March 29 due to March Madness and slipped 6% to a new season-low 4.6. 

CMV’s Hot Bench and Warner Bros.’ People’s Court stayed at a 1.5 and 0.8, respectively.  Warner Bros.’ Judge Mathis faded 14% to a new series low 0.6, tying NBCU’s Judge Jerry, which also sank 14%.

Also Read: ‘Judge Jerry’ Renewed for Season Three by NBCUniversal

Fox’s Divorce Court and repeats of Trifecta’s Protection Court both were in line with last week’s series lows of  0.5 and 0.2, respectively.

Warner Bros.’ The Big Bang Theory continued to lead the sitcoms, although it sagged 4% to a 2.4.

Also Read: ‘Young Sheldon’ Sold in More than 90% of U.S. for Fall 2021

Disney’s Last Man Standing stood pat at a 1.8. Warner Bros.’ Two and a Half Men managed a 1.0 for a sixth straight week, tying Disney’s Modern Family, which held steady, and Disney’s Family Guy, which rebounded 25%. SPT’s The Goldbergs stayed at a series-low 0.9 for a third straight week, tying SPT’s Seinfeld, which recovered 13%. Warner Bros.’ 2 Broke Girls broke even at a 0.7 tying Warner Bros.’ Mike & Molly, which held steady for the fifth consecutive week. Disney’s Black-ish backed off 14% to a 0.6, tying Warner Bros.’ Mom, which was unchanged. 

Paige Albiniak

Contributing editor Paige Albiniak has been covering the business of television for more than 25 years. She is a longtime contributor to Next TV, Broadcasting + Cable and Multichannel News. She concurrently serves as editorial director for The Global Entertainment Marketing Academy of Arts & Sciences (G.E.M.A.). She has written for such publications as TVNewsCheck, The New York Post, Variety, CBS Watch and more. Albiniak was B+C’s Los Angeles bureau chief from September 2002 to 2004, and an associate editor covering Congress and lobbying for the magazine in Washington, D.C., from January 1997 - September 2002.