After three days, CBS Television Distribution's Dr. Phil is off to its best start in seven years with the show's exclusive multi-part interview with the parents of Casey Anthony, who was acquitted last summer for the murder of her two-year-old daughter, Caylee.
Dr. Phil is averaging a 4.5 rating/12 share in households in the weighted metered markets for his primary runs, according to Nielsen Media Research. That's up 105% from last year's premiere and up 137% over its lead-in. Dr. Phil is the top show in its time period in 46 out of 56 metered markets, including the top five.
Part three of Dr. Phil's interview with the Anthonys concludes next Monday, Sept. 19.
Among the other top talkers that premiered this week, Disney-ABC's Live! with Regis and Kelly is averaging a 2.8/10, Sony's Dr. Oz a 2.7/7 and Warner Bros.' Ellen a 2.5/7.
Among the new entries, Warner Bros.' Anderson is averaging a 1.3/4 across its first three days, even with its lead-in and off 13% year to year. In the top three markets, Anderson airs on non-traditional affiliates -- Tribune's WPIX New York at 4 p.m., Fox's KTTV Los Angeles at 4 p.m. and Fox's WFLD Chicago at 2 p.m. -- time periods that are likely challenging the show's ratings. That said, Anderson is off to a slower-than-desired start.
America Now, which airs predominantly on Raycom stations and which Raycom produces in conjunction with ITV Studios America -- is airing in 14 metered markets. America Now, starring Bill Rancic and Leeza Gibbons, is averaging a 1.0/3, down 9% from its 1.1/3 lead in and down 33% from its 1.5/5 year-ago time period average.
Another Raycom project, RightThisMinute, airing in 15 metered markets, is averaging a 0.8/3, down 47% from its 1.5/4 lead-in, and down 43% from its 1.4/4 Sept. 2010 time period average.
Entertainment Studios' We the People with Gloria Allred, which is airing in 32 metered markets including NBC-owned stations in top markets, is averaging a 0.5/2, down 17% from its 0.6/2 lead-in and year-ago time period average.
CTD's Excused, a new dating show that's cleared mostly in late fringe and late night on independent and CW stations, is averaging a 0.4/1 share. The show is down 33% from its 0.6/2 lead-in, although viewership drops off sharply as it gets later, and it's off 43% from its 0.7/2 year-ago time period average.
Other rookies -- including Debmar-Mercury's Jeremy Kyle and the two big off-net sitcoms, Warner Bros.' Big Bang Theory and NBCUniversal's 30 Rock -- premiere Monday, Sept. 19. NBCU's veteran talkers -- Maury, Jerry Springer and Steve Wilkos -- all premiere Monday as well.
