Syndication Ratings: Syndies Mostly Stable as November Sweep Kicks Off

Stability was the name of the game in the week ended Nov. 4, which also was the first full week of the November sweep running Oct. 25 to Nov. 21.

Talk was the only genre in which all of the top-three shows moved up.

CBS Television Distribution’s Dr. Phil led the pack for the 113th straight week with two ties, improving 3% to a six-week high 3.0 live with same day household rating, according to Nielsen Media Research. Among daytime’s key demographic of women 25-54, Phil again led the talkers with a 1.3.

Related: Dr. Phil McGraw Renews Deal with CBS Television Distribution Through 2023

Disney-ABC’s Live With Kelly and Ryan snared second place in households for the sixth straight week after getting a nice boost from its annual Halloween show, which scored a 2.5 individual day rating on Wednesday, Oct. 31, up 25% from the prior Wednesday. For the full week, Live jumped 5% and was the only talker to hit a new season high, clocking a 2.3, the show’s best rating since the week of March 19.

In third place, Warner Bros.’ Ellen DeGeneres also was in the plus column, advancing 5% to a six-week-high 2.1.

NBCU’s Maury and Steve, Debmar-Mercury’s Wendy Williams, NBCU’s Steve Wilkos and CTD’s Rachael Ray all were steady at a 1.4, 1.3, 1.3, 1.1 and 1.1, respectively.

Sony Pictures Television’s Dr. Oz added 10% to a 1.1, tying Ray and Wilkos.

Warner Bros.’ The Real remained at a 0.7. CTD’s The Doctors rebounded 20% to a 0.6. NBCU’s out-of-production Jerry Springer, which is airing only reruns and is rated separately for its CW Network runs and its syndicated runs, was flat at a 0.4, tying Disney-ABC’s Pickler & Ben, which also stayed put.

First-run newcomers also held steady in households but improved in the demo. CTD’s panel talker Face the Truth stayed at a 0.8, but added 25% in the demo to a 0.5 in its eighth week. Debmar-Mercury’s Caught in Providence presided over a steady 0.6 but climbed 50% in the demo to a 0.3 in its sixth week.

Among the veteran courts, CTD’s Judge Judy, in its 23rd season led all of syndication for the 14th straight week with a 7.3, unchanged from the prior week but 6% ahead of last year, making Judy the only court to improve compared to last year in households.

CTD’s Hot Bench stayed at a 2.3 to tie Live as the third-ranked show in daytime.

Warner Bros.’ People’s Court climbed 7% to a new season high 1.5. Warner Bros.’ JudgeMathis maintained a 1.0 for a fourth straight week. Twentieth’s Divorce Court gained 14% to a 0.8.

In access, some games rebounded from a sluggish round in the prior session. Debmar-Mercury’s Family Feud opened a clear lead in the category, rising 5% to a new season-high 6.4, after being tied with CTD’s Jeopardy! in the prior frame. Jeopardy! remained at a 6.1 and was tied by stablemate Wheel of Fortune, which accelerated 3% to a new season high.

Disney-ABC’s Who Wants to be a Millionaire appreciated 7% to a 1.6 after hitting a new season low in the prior week. Entertainment Studios’ Funny You Should Ask remained at a 0.5 for the 15th straight week.

Disney-ABC’s viral video show RightThisMinute stayed level at a 1.2 for the seventh straight week.

CTD’s EntertainmentTonight and Inside Edition tied for the magazine lead at a 2.9 with ET easing 6% and Inside Edition dipping 3%.

NBCU’s Access held steady at a 1.2, claiming a share or sole possession of third place in the category for the seventh week in a row. Warner Bros.’ TMZ, which had been sacrificed for the World Series on many Fox-owned stations and affiliates in the prior week, recovered 20% to a 1.2, tying Access. Warner Bros.’ Extra and CTD’s DailyMailTV both held steady at a 1.1 and 1.0, respectively.

Twentieth’s Page Six TV, which like TMZ had been battered by the World Series on Fox, rallied 17% to a 0.7, matching its season high. Trifecta’s Celebrity Page was stable at a 0.2 for the fifth consecutive week.

In crime time, NBCU’s off-net strip, Dateline, held steady at a 1.4. SPT’s off-A&E Live PD Police Patrol shed 9% to a 1.0. Off-Investigation Discovery’s True Crime Files remained at a 0.3 for the eighth week in a row.

Meanwhile, NBCU’s scripted procedural Chicago PD backtracked 10% to a 0.9 after collaring a new season high in the prior week.

With daylight savings around the corner, off-net sitcoms started to see their rating rise. Warner Bros.’ The Big Bang Theory heated up 18% to a new season-high 4.7. Twentieth’s LastMan Standing stayed at a 2.1, tying Twentieth’s Modern Family, which finished 5% higher. SPT’s The Goldbergs grew 7% to a new season-high 1.6. Warner Bros.’ Two and a Half Men moved up 8% to a 1.4. Twentieth’s Family Guy gave back 8% to a 1.2. Warner Bros.’ Mike & Molly and Disney-ABC’s newcomer Black-ish both broke even at a 1.1. Warner Bros.’ 2 Broke Girls gained 11% to a 1.0. Warner Bros.’ Mom and SPT’s Seinfeld each were unchanged at a 0.9.

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.