Syndication Ratings: 'Live' Ties 'Dr. Phil' for Talk Lead With Season 33 Premiere Week

Disney's 'Live with Kelly and Ryan' returned to the studio on Sept. 7. (Image credit: Disney/Live with Kelly and Ryan)

Disney’s Live With Kelly and Ryan was syndication’s only talker to launch its season premiere in the week ended Sept. 13, which included the long Labor Day weekend. As a result, the show shot up 27% from the prior week to a six-week high 1.9 live plus same day national household rating, according to Nielsen Media Research.

That tied CTD’s steady Dr. Phil for talk’s top spot even though Live did not air in top market New York on Sept. 11 due to preemptions to cover memorial services. Dr. Phil’s 19th season premiere aired Sept. 14., and those ratings will be available next week.

Among daytime’s key demographic of women 25-54, Live led with a 0.8.

‘Related: 'Live with Kelly and Ryan' Returns for Season 33 as Top Talker Among Key Women Demos

NBCUniversal’s Maury took third among the talkers in households with a 1.0 for the sixth straight week, while NBCU’s Steve Wilkos followed with a 0.9 for a seventh consecutive week.

Warner Bros.’ beleaguered The Ellen DeGeneres Show, in the week before its 18th season premiere, held at its series-low 0.9 for a fifth straight week, tying Wilkos and falling 53% from the same week last year, during which the show aired its season premiere. 

Ellen’s 18th season premiere, now known as “the apology episode,” aired Monday, Sept. 21, to a 1.9 rating/6 share among weighted metered markets, the show’s strongest debut in four seasons. The premiere improved its 1.2/4 lead-in by 58% and was steady compared to its year-ago time period average. 

Related: Ellen DeGeneres Opens Season 18 With an Apology

NBCU’s Kelly Clarkson and CTD’s Rachael Ray both remained at a 0.8 in the final week of their seasons. Debmar-Mercury’s Wendy Williams stayed at a 0.7 for the seventh straight week ahead of its Monday, Sept. 21 premiere.

Disney’s Tamron Hall aired five days of repeats in the week before its second-season premiere and slipped 14% to a 0.6. 

Sony Pictures Television’s renewed Dr. Oz, CTD’s The Doctors and Warner Bros.’ The Real all were unchanged at a 0.6, 0.4 and 0.3, respectively. 

Related: Fox Renews ‘Dr. Oz’ Through 2022-23

SPT’s Mel Robbins, in its final week, stayed at its season low 0.3 for a 15th straight week.

NBCU’s out-of-production syndicated run of NBCU’s Jerry Springer sank 33% to a new series- low 0.2. 

In the metered markets, week one of CTD’s The Drew Barrymore Show, which debuted Sept. 14, averaged a preliminary 0.8/3 for its primary runs, despite being preempted in a number of markets on Sept. 17 by coverage of the U.S. Open golf tournament on NBC. 

Drew’s premiere was down 20% from its 1.0/4 lead-in, and off 27% from its 1.1/4 year-ago time period average. Among its CBS-owned station launch group, Drew improved those stations’ time periods by 33% among women 25-54 and by 50% among adults 25-54, compared to the same week last year.

In metered-market households, Drew’s best opening-week performance came on WIVB Buffalo Ny at 3 p.m. where it averaged a 2.2/6 and took its time period up 57% from last year at this time. Despite overall low viewing levels, Drew improved its time periods by 100% over year-ago on KCBS Los Angeles at 2 p.m., KATU Portland, ORe., at 3 p.m.; and KSNV Las Vegas at 2 p.m. The newcomer also rose 150% on WMAR Baltimore at 4 p.m.; 200% on WBKI Louisville, Ky., at 2 p.m.; and 200% on WJXX Jacksonville, Fla., at 10 a.m.

Related: Syndication Ratings: Socially Distanced 'Drew' Comes on Strong in Debut

Back in the national ratings for the week ended Sept. 13, an all-repeat week of CTD’s Judge Judy fell back 4% to a 5.4. CTD’s Hot Bench, also in reruns, held steady at a 1.9, tying talk leaders Live and Phil as daytime’s second-highest rated show among households. 

Related: David Theodosopoulos Keeps ‘Hot Bench’ Warm for CBS

Warner Bros.’ People’s Court rebounded 8% to a 1.3, while its Judge Mathis moved up 13% to a 0.9. NBCU’s Judge Jerry, Fox’s Divorce Court and Debmar-Mercury’s Caught in Providence all were unchanged at a 0.7, 0.6 and 0.4, respectively. 

MGM/Orion’s Personal Injury Court slipped and fell 25% to a 0.3, while Trifecta’s Protection Court stabilized at a 0.2 for a fifth consecutive week. 

CTD’s Inside Edition and CTD’s Entertainment Tonight led the magazines at an evenly matched 2.1, with Entertainment Tonight dropping 5% and Inside Edition slipping 9%. NBCU’s Access Hollywood was heavily preempted and gave back 20% to a 0.8, tying Warner Bros.’ flat TMZ. Warner Bros.’ Extra and CTD’s DailyMailTV held their ground, tied at a 0.7. Fox’s Dish Nation was unchanged at a 0.3. Trifecta’s Celebrity Page perked up 50% to a 0.3 from a 0.2, tying Dish. 

Debmar-Mercury’s Family Feud inched up 2% to a 5.5 to take the overall syndication lead. CTD’s Wheel of Fortune fell 2% to a 4.5, while CTD’s Jeopardy! also sagged 2% to a 4.2. 

Fox’s 25 Words or Less and SPT’s off-GSN America Says, which is saying sayonara, stayed at a 0.9 and 0.8, respectively. 

Entertainment Studios’ Funny You Should Ask responded with a 0.4 for the second straight week.

Disney’s internet video show RightThisMinute rose 17% to a 0.7.

NBCU’s off-network strip Dateline and its procedural scripted strip Chicago PD remained at a 1.0 and a 0.7, respectively, for a third straight week. 

Warner Bros.’ The Big Bang Theory advanced 4% to a 2.7. Disney’s Last Man Standing, Disney’s Modern Family and Warner Bros.’ Two and a Half Men all stayed put at a 1.8, 1.2 and 1.1, respectively. Disney’s Family Guy sank 10% to a 0.9, tying SPT’s The Goldbergs and Seinfeld, both of which were steady. Disney’s Black-ish barrelled ahead 14% to a 0.8, tying Warner Bros.’ Mom and Mike & Molly, both of which were on par with the prior week.

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.