Syndication Ratings: 'Jeopardy' Stays on Top With Second-Chance Tourney

'Jeopardy''s 'Second Chance Tournament' was hosted by Mayim Bialik.
'Jeopardy''s 'Second Chance Tournament' was hosted by Mayim Bialik. (Image credit: Sony Pictures Television/'Jeoapary')

Jeopardy, with the second week of its first-ever Second Chance Tournament, widened both its syndication and game lead in the week ended October 30 with a 4% jump to a new season-high 5.4 live plus same day national household rating, according to Nielsen. With that, CBS Media Ventures’ Jeopardy topped the chart for the seventh straight week, including one tie with Debmar-Mercury’s Family Feud.

The two-week tournament, which featured 18 players who nearly won but didn’t quite succeed, was hosted by Mayim Bialik. CBS’ Wheel of Fortune, which is paired with Jeopardy in access in many markets, upticked 2% to a season-high 4.9. Feud was flat in third place at a 4.8.

Among the lesser-rated games, Fox’s 25 Words or Less lost 13% to a 0.7 to tie sister show You Bet Your Life with host Jay Leno which lingered at a 0.7 for a fourth straight week. CBS’ rookie Pictionary, starring Jerry O’Connell, preserved a third consecutive 0.4. Entertainment Studios’ veteran Funny You Should Ask stayed at a 0.3 for a fourth week.

Disney’s Live with Kelly and Ryan receded 6% from its season high set in the prior week to a 1.5 but remained the talk leader for the 23rd straight week, including eight ties with CBS’ Dr. Phil. Live has now finished first or tied for first 60 times in the last 75 weeks.

Among daytime’s key demographic of women 25-54, Live led with a 0.6 followed by Dr. Phil and Debmar-Mercury’s newcomer Sherri at a 0.4, which was a 33% increase.

Dr. Phil; NBCU’s Kelly Clarkson, which was just renewed through the 2024-25 TV season on the NBC owned stations; CBS’ Drew Barrymore, which is now produced as a half-hour and is being upgraded from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in number-two market Los Angeles on KCBS; Disney’s Tamron Hall; CBS’ Rachael Ray; repeats of NBCU’s out-of-production Maury; NBCU’s Steve Wilkos and its Jerry Springer court/talk combo encores all stayed even with the prior week’s 1.4, 0.9, 0.8, 0.7, 0.7, 0.5, 0.5 and 0.3, respectively.

The three rookie talkers were all steady. Sherri, starring Sherri Shepherd, remained at a 0.7 as it has for all of its seven weeks on the air. Warner Bros.’ Jennifer Hudson held at a 0.6 in households but hit its highest rating among women 25-54 since its September premiere, moving up 50% to a 0.3 in the demo. NBCUniversal’s Karamo, starring Karamo Brown, booked a 0.3 for a sixth straight week.

CBS’ Inside Edition led the magazines even though it fell back 5% to a 2.1. CBS’ Entertainment Tonight and NBCUniversal’s Access Hollywood each held steady at a 2.0 and a 0. 7, respectively. Fox’s TMZ and Warner Bros.’ Extra were the category’s only shows to improve, climbing 17% to a 0.7 and 20% to a 0.6, respectively.  Both shows were preempted for Game 1 of the World Series on Fox on October 28. Fox’s Dish Nation delivered a 0.2 for a thirtieth straight week.

Repeats of CBS’ Judge Judy continued to lead the legal shows, spiking 5% for the week and 13% over the prior two weeks to a 4.3. CBS’ Hot Bench, Warner Bros.’ People’s Court, Warner Bros.’ Judge Mathis, Fox’s Divorce Court and Wrigley Media’s Relative Justice were all steady at a 1.3, 0.8, 0.6, 0.5 and 0.4, respectively.

Trifecta’s rookie true-crime strip iCrime with Elizabeth Vargas and Entertainment Studios’ freshman court show We the People with Judge Lauren Lake both maintained a 0.5 and a 0.3 in their seventh weeks on the air.

Warner Bros.’ The Big Bang Theory remained the off-net sitcom leader, although it contracted 5% to a 1.8. Disney’s Last Man Standing jumped 10% to a 1.1. Disney’s Modern Family, Warner Bros.’ Two and a Half Men and Warner Bros.’ Young Sheldon stayed at a 0.8, 0.7 and 0.7, respectively, with the last two tying Disney’s Family Guy, which gained 17%. Sony Pictures Television’s Seinfeld spiked 20% to a 0.6, tying Sony’s The Goldbergs, which stayed put for a third week. Finally, CBS’ freshman The Neighborhood and Disney’s Black-ish both broke even at a 0.5 and a 0. 4, respectively. ■

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.