Syndication Ratings: Shows Rebound After Dropping to Thanksgiving Lows

Syndies rebounded in the week ended Dec. 2 after being hammered by Thanksgiving and Black Friday in the prior week.

CBS Television Distribution’s Dr. Phil added 26%, the most of any strip, to a 2.9 live plus same day household rating, according to Nielsen Media Research. Phil marked the 117th consecutive week, with three ties, as syndication’s top talker. Phil also led among daytime’s key demographic of women 25-54 with a 1.2.

Warner Bros.’ Ellen DeGeneres rose 4% to a 2.4 in households for sole possession of second place among the talkers, just ahead of Disney’s steady Live with Kelly and Ryan at a 2.3.

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Rounding out the top five, were NBCUniversal’s Steve, which held at a 1.4 for a third straight week, and NBCU’s Maury, which added 8% to tie Steve.

Debmar-Mercury’s Wendy Williams and NBCU’s Steve Wilkos were unchanged at a 1.3 and 1.2, respectively. CTD’s Rachael Ray retreated 8% to a 1.1 to tie Sony Pictures Television’s steady Dr. Oz.

Warner Bros.’ The Real recovered 17% to a 0.7. CTD’s The Doctors flatlined at a 0.6. The syndicated run of NBCU’s out-of-production Jerry Springer stayed at a 0.4 for the 12th week in a row, tying Disney’s Pickler & Ben, which held steady for the 11th straight session.

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Rookies CTD’s panel talker Face the Truth rebounded 14% to a 0.8 while Debmar-Mercury’s court Caught in Providence slumped 17% to a 0.5.

The veteran court shows all were higher.

CTD’s November sweep champion Judge Judy grew another 3% to a 7.6 to lead all of syndication in households for the 18th straight week. Judy also showed the largest annual increase of any court, adding 6% compared to last year.

CTD’s Hot Bench was buoyed by a 4% increase to a 2.5, and ranked as the third show in daytime behind only Judy and Phil.

Warner Bros.’ People’s Court climbed 8% to a 1.4, while Judge Mathis motored ahead 11% to a 1.0. Twentieth’s Divorce Court sprinted 17% to a 0.7.

CTD’s Jeopardy! jumped 16% to a 6.4 to lead the games for the second week in a row. Debmar-Mercury’s Family Feud tied CTD’s Wheel of Fortune, both of which added 17% for second-place 6.3.

Disney’s Who Wants to be a Millionaire broke even at a 1.7, while Entertainment Studios’ FunnyYou Should Ask remained at a 0.5 for the 19th straight week.

Disney’s viral video show RightThisMinute clocked a 1.3, up 8%.

CTD’s Inside Edition bounced back 11% to lead the magazines at a 3.1, edging out corporate sibling EntertainmentTonight, which vaulted 20% to a 3.0. NBCU’s Access accelerated 9% to a 1.2, tying Warner Bros.’ TMZ, which perked up 20% to a 1.2.

CTD’s DailyMailTV leap-frogged over Warner Bros.’ Extra for the first time since the week ending Feb. 25 for a 10% advance to a 1.1. Mail also was the only show in the genre to improve year to year, adding 10%.

Extra was heavily preempted by NBC special Christmas in Rockefeller Center and college football to hold steady at a 1.0.

Twentieth’s Page Six TV shot up 17% to a 0.7, matching its season high. Trifecta’s CelebrityPage posted a 0.2 for the ninth week in a row.

NBCU’s off-net strip Dateline gave back 31% from a season high set in the prior session to a 1.1. SPT’s off-A&E Live PD Police Patrol receded 15% to a 1.1, tying Dateline. Off-Investigation Discovery’s True Crime Files remained at a 0.3 for the 12th straight week.

NBCU’s off-network scripted strip Chicago PD was steady at a 0.9.

Warner Bros.’ The Big Bang Theory led the off-net sitcoms with a 12% gain to a 4.7. Twentieth’s Last Man Standing improved 5% to a 2.1, tying Twentieth’s Modern Family, which ballooned 24%. SPT’s The Goldbergs grew 7% to a 1.6. Warner Bros.’ Two and a Half Men mushroomed 15% to a 1.5. Twentieth’s Family Guy gained 8% to a 1.3. Warner Bros.’ Mike & Molly and Disney’s newcomer Black-ish both broke even at a 1.2. Warner Bros.’ 2 Broke Girls and SPT’s Seinfeld each grew 11% to a 1.0.

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.