Entertainment magazines got a brief break from being preempted in the week ended Aug. 7, which fell between the end of the Democratic National Convention and the start of the Summer Olympic Games in Rio on Aug. 5.
CBS Television Distribution’s Entertainment Tonight — whose executive producer, Brad Bessey, is departing — topped the genre, climbing 4% to a 2.6. CTD’s Inside Edition, which is more news than entertainment, was flat at a second-place 2.5. NBCU’s Access Hollywood, which is on the ground covering the Games in Rio as part of NBCUniversal’s overall efforts, jumped 27% to a 1.4, tying Warner Bros.’ TMZ, which added 8%.
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Warner Bros.’ Extra, recovering from multiple preemptions after the political conventions, notched the largest weekly increase in the category and the biggest gain in syndication, adding 33% to a 1.2. Extra also was the only magazine to hold steady compared to last year, while all other magazines declined year to year. Extra will experience wide preemptions during the Olympics, due to its being carried on many NBC affiliates.
CTD’s The Insider grew 25% to a 1.0. Twentieth’s Dish Nation also was unchanged at a 0.8. Trifecta’s Celebrity Page recorded its regular 0.3 for the nineteenth straight week.
In daytime, Disney-ABC’s Live with Kelly grew 4% to a 2.5 to lead the talkers for the ninth week in a row counting ties. Live also led among daytime’s key demographic of women 25-54 at a 1.2.
Back in households, CTD’s Dr. Phil, in repeats for the week, held steady at a second-place 2.4. Warner Bros.’ Ellen DeGeneres stood pat at a 1.6, remaining at its season low for the second week in a row.
NBCU’s Maury, which usually rises in the summer, sank 7% to a new series-low 1.4. NBCU’s Steve Harvey also stumbled 7% to a 1.3, that show’s lowest rating since the week ending Sept. 8, 2013. NBCU’s Steve Wilkos and CTD’s Rachael Ray remained at a 1.2. SPT’s Dr. Oz, which began operating in 2009, fell 8% to a new series low 1.1 to tie Debmar-Mercury’s WendyWilliams and NBCU’s JerrySpringer, both of which were flat. CTD’s TheDoctors got a 13% infusion, rebounding to a 0.9 in households, while strengthening 25% in the demo to a 0.5, despite being in repeats for the week.
Warner Bros.’ The Real, which is renewed for two more seasons, dropped 14% to a new series-low 0.6, tying NBCU’s out-of-production and canceled Meredith Vieira, which recovered 20%, or one-tenth of a ratings point, to a 0.6. Year to year, both shows were down 25%.
Warner Bros.’ Crime Watch Daily, the sole survivor among this year’s rookies, held steady at a 0.8 with encore telecasts. Departing newcomers Disney-ABC’s FABLife and NBCU’s Crazy Talk both were flat at a 0.6 and 0.4.
CTD’s Judge Judy added 2% to lead the courts and all of syndication with a four-week high 6.5, even though the show was in repeats for the week. CTD’s Hot Bench, also in reruns, gained 5% to a 2.2 and ranked fourth among daytime strips, behind Judy, Phil and Live for the 14th straight week.
Warner Bros.’ People’s Court and Judge Mathis each stayed put at a 1.6 and 1.3, respectively. Twentieth’s Divorce Court recovered 22% to a 1.1. Trifecta’s Judge Faith rebounded 14% to a 0.8.
Debmar-Mercury’s Family Feud slipped 3% to a 6.4, putting it in second place in all of syndication behind Judge Judy but in thegame lead for the 15th week in a row.
CTD’s Wheel of Fortune added 4% to a 5.4, after dropping to nearly a four-year low in the prior week. CTD’s Jeopardy! inched up 2% to a 5.2. Debmar-Mercury’s Celebrity Name Game held steady at a 1.3. Disney-ABC’s Who Wants to Be a Millionaire remained at a 1.2 for the fifth week in a row.
MGM’s RightThisMinute was unchanged for the week at a 1.0.
Warner Bros.’ off-net leader The Big Bang Theory advanced 6% to a 5.0. Twentieth’s ModernFamily was flat at a 2.6. Warner Bros.’ Two and a Half Men moved up 4% to a 2.4. Twentieth’s Family Guy, Warner Bros.’ 2 Broke Girls, Warner Bros.’ Mike & Molly and SPT’s Seinfeld all were steady at a 2.1, 1.9, 1.8 and 1.6, respectively. Twentieth’s The Cleveland Show closed 12% lower at a 1.5, tying Twentieth’s How I Met Your Mother, which stood pat, and Twentieth’s King of the Hill, which climbed 7% to a new season high.
