Even Jeopardy!, syndication’s top show, headed south in what is normally a highly watched week ended February 12.
That drop came despite short, cold days that typically attract TV viewers and the week being bookended by the Grammy Awards on Sunday, February 5 and Super Bowl LVII on Sunday, February 12, with President Joe Biden’s State of the Union speech airing midweek on Tuesday, February 7.
Syndie stalwarts such as CBS Media Ventures’ Jeopardy! sagged 7% to a six-week-low 5.6 live plus same day national household rating, according to Nielsen. Jeopardy! still led the category and all of syndication for a 19th straight week.
CBS' sister strip Wheel of Fortune slowed 5% to a 5.2, tying Debmar-Mercury’s Family Feud, which fell back 4%.
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Fox’s 25 Words or Less, hosted and executive-produced by Meredith Vieira, lost 13% to a 0.7, tying Fox’s steady You Bet Your Life with host Jay Leno.
CBS’s renewed newcomer Pictionary, starring Jerry O’Connell, was the only strip in first-run to improve, rising 25% to a 0.5.
Allen Media Group’s Funny You Should Ask held at a 0.4 for a fourth straight week.
Disney’s Live with Kelly and Ryan and Tamron Hall were the only two talkers in the top five to avoid a decline. Live — which will see Kelly Ripa’s husband Mark Consuelos take over as Ripa’s regular co-host, replacing the soon-to-depart Ryan Seacrest — has been the sole top talker for the past 22 weeks, remaining steady week to week at a 1.6. Tamron Hall has been hanging out at a 0.8 for the past five weeks. Among daytime’s key demographic of women 25-54, Live led with a 0.6.
CBS’s Dr. Phil, which will end first-run production after this season, softened 7% to a 1.3. NBCUniversal’s Kelly Clarkson pulled back 10% to a third-place 0.9. CBS’ Drew Barrymore declined 11% to a 0.8, tying Tamron Hall. CBS’ Rachael Ray, NBCU’s Steve Wilkos and repeats of NBCU’s Maury all held steady at a 0.7, 0.6 and 0.5, respectively. NBCU’s repackaged combo of Jerry Springer-led court-and-talk repeats regressed 25% to a 0.3.
Debmar-Mercury’s renewed rookie talker Sherri stayed at a 0.7, where the show has landed for 14 of the past 18 regularly titled weeks (discounting retitled episodes that aired during Fox’s coverage of the World Cup soccer tournament late last year).
Warner Bros.’s Jennifer Hudson, which also has been renewed for a second season, dropped 14% to a 0.6, after being the only show to improve in the prior week.
NBCU’s Karamo continued to hold at a 0.4 for an eighth consecutive week.
There were no favorable verdicts in any court during the week. Encore episodes of CBS’s Judge Judy led despite dipping 4% to a 4.4. CBS’ Hot Bench held at a second-place 1.2. Warner Bros.’s People’s Court, which was served with cancellation papers late last week, remained at a 0.8 for an eighth straight week. Similarly, Warner Bros.’s Judge Mathis, which is ending, with its star headed to Allen Media Group, stalled at a 0.6. Fox’s Divorce Court and Wrigley Media’s Relative Justice both stayed put at a 0.5 and a 0.3, respectively.
Allen Media Group’s rookie court We the People with Judge Lauren Lake labored at a 0.3 for a 12th consecutive week.
Trifecta’s true-crime newcomer iCrime with Elizabeth Vargas stayed at a 0.5 for an eighth consecutive week.
CBS’ top-two magazines declined with Inside Edition eroding 4% to a 2.3, while Entertainment Tonight tailed off 4% to a 2.2. NBCU’s Access Hollywood, Fox’s TMZ, Warner Bros.’s Extra and Fox’s Dish Nation all held steady at a 0.8, 0.8, 0.6 and 0.2, respectively.
Warner Bros.’s The Big Bang Theory deflated 5% but led the off-network sitcoms at a 1.9. Disney’s Last Man Standing sprinted ahead 9% to a 1.2. Disney’s Modern Family forfeited 13% to a 0.7, tying Disney’s Family Guy, which grew 17%; Warner Bros.’s Young Sheldon, which stayed put for a seventh straight week; and Sony Pictures Television’s The Goldbergs, which was flat for a second week. Warner Bros.’s Two and a Half Men faded 14% to a 0.6, tying CBS’s newcomer The Neighborhood, which was flat for the eighth week in a row. Sony’s Seinfeld shrank 17% to a 0.5. Finally, Disney’s Black-ish turned in a 0.4 for the second straight week, tying Disney’s American Housewife and Warner Bros.’s Mom, both of which held steady for a fourth consecutive week. ■
