With Dr. Oz at the podium and March Madness college basketball all around it, CBS Media Ventures’ leading game show Jeopardy! slipped 2% to a 5.2 live plus same day national household rating, according to Nielsen Media Research, in the week ended March 28. That marks the show’s lowest number since the week ended Jan. 3.
Prior to that, Jeopardy! had led the games and all of syndication for four straight weeks including one tie with CMV’s Wheel of Fortune until the week ended March 21, which featured Katie Couric’s second week of guest-hosting.
Also Read: Syndication Ratings: 'Jeopardy!' Drops Out of Game Lead
Sony Pictures Television’s talker Dr. Oz also is finding the going rough, falling back 50% from last year at this time, the biggest annual decline of any talker in the top ten.
Meanwhile, Debmar-Mercury’s Family Feud, which held steady at a 5.4, led the games and all of syndication for a second straight week. Jeopardy!’s stablemate Wheel of Fortune skidded 2% to a 4.9, its lowest score in 13 weeks.
Fox’s 25 Words or Less languished at its series-low 0.7 for a fourth straight week. Entertainment Studios’ Funny You Should Ask replied with a season-low 0.4 for a fifth consecutive week. Elsewhere, Disney’s internet video series RightThisMinute moved down 14% to a 0.6, matching its series low.
The top-three magazines all headed south. CMV’s Inside Edition eroded 4% to a 2.3, while sibling series Entertainment Tonight tumbled 13% to a 2.1. NBCU’s Access Hollywood downticked 10% to a 0.9. WarnerBros.’ TMZ and Extra, CMV’s DailyMailTV and Fox’s Dish Nation all held steady at a 0.8, 0.7, 0.6 and 0.3, respectively.
In daytime, shows also faced preemptions for President Joe Biden’s first official press conference on March 25.
Disney’s Live with Kelly and Ryan remained the top talker for a fourth straight week and continued to lead the category by all three key metrics (households, viewers, women 25-54) for the first time in its 33 seasons. Among daytime’s key demographic of women 25-54, Live led with a 0.7.
Also Read: 'Live' Extends Talk Lead Among Women for More Than a Year
CTD’s Dr. Phil dipped 6% to a second-place 1.5 after once again being peppered with preemptions and losing its primary run in all of the top-five markets and seven of the top-ten due to basketball on March 22.
NBCU’s Maury remained at a 1.0 for a fifth straight week, tying Debmar-Mercury’s Wendy Williams, which rose 11%. In fifth place, Warner Bros.’ Ellen DeGeneres dropped 10% to a 0.9, matching its series low.
Right behind, four shows tied at a 0.8: NBCU’s sophomore Kelly Clarkson, down 11%; Disney’s sophomore Tamron Hall and CMV’s Rachael Ray, both of which were flat; and NBCU’s Steve Wilkos, which improved 14%.
CMV’s recently renewed rookie Drew Barrymore stayed at a 0.6 for a second week, tying Dr. Oz which declined 14% to match its series low. Warner Bros.’ The Real, CMV’s The Doctors and NBCU’s out-of-production syndicated run of Jerry Springer all were flat at a 0.4, 0.2 and 0.2, respectively. The Doctors delivered a series low for a fifth straight week and Springer stayed at its series low for the 29th straight week.
CMV’s top court show Judge Judy lost its primary run in five of the top-ten markets, including all of the top three (New York, Los Angeles and Chicago) due to NCAA basketball on March 22, and fell back 6% to a 4.9.
CMV’s Hot Bench, Warner Bros.’ People’s Court and Judge Mathis, NBCU’s renewed sophomore Judge Jerry, Fox’s Divorce Court and repeats of Trifecta’s Protection Court all were on par with the prior week’s 1.5, 0.8, 0.7, 0.7, 0.5 and 0.2, respectively.
Also Read: ‘Judge Jerry’ Renewed for Season 3 by NBCUniversal
Warner Bros.’ The Big Bang Theory stayed at a 2.5 to lead the off-network sitcoms. Disney’s Last Man Standing stood pat at a 1.8. Warner Bros.’ Two and a Half Men maintained a 1.0 for a fifth straight week, tying Disney’s Modern Family, which rebounded 11% from its series low. SPT’s The Goldbergs garnered a 0.9 for a second week, remaining at its series low. SPT’s Seinfeld slipped 11% to a 0.8, matching its series low and tying Disney’s Family Guy, which sank 38%. Warner Bros.’ 2 Broke Girls gave back 13% to a 0.7 tying Warner Bros.’ Mike & Molly and Disney’s Black-ish, both of which were stable.
