The demise of Brangelina was good news for the entertainment magazines, with all six of the genre’s top shows moving up in the week ending Sept. 25. That news combined with next-day coverage of the 68th annual Primetime Emmys led to week-to-week increases all around.
CBS Television Distribution’s Entertainment Tonight was up the most, gaining 17% for the week to a 3.4 live plus same day national household rating, according to Nielsen Media Research. That’s ET’s highest weekly household rating since the week ended Feb. 28, which included the shows’ lead-up coverage to the 88th annual Academy Awards.
In second place, CTD’s Inside Edition added 7% to a 2.9. NBCUniversal’s Access Hollywood gained 14% to a 1.6. Warner Bros.’ TMZ picked up 7% to a 1.5. Warner Bros.’ Extra improved 8% to 13-week high 1.3. CTD’s The Insider rose 10% to a 1.1.
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Further back, Twentieth’s Dish Nation was flat at a 0.8. Trifecta’s Celebrity Page posted its usual 0.3 for the 26th week in a row.
In daytime, CTD’s Dr. Phil eased 13% to a 3.3, after opening to its biggest premiere in nearly two years with a two-part exclusive interview with Burke Ramsey, brother of JonBenét Ramsey. However, Phil improved 10% from last year at this time to lead the talkers, and finished first among daytime’s key demographic of women 25-54 with a 1.5.
Coming up, Dr. Phil has exclusive interviews with Making A Murderer’s Stephen Avery, in which Dr. Phil McGraw talked with Avery from prison, and Avery’s now former fiancee Lynn Hartman. McGraw’s interview with Avery aired Monday, Oct. 3, while the show featuring Hartman was broadcast on Tuesday, Oct. 4. Since the show taped, reports indicate that Avery has ended the short-lived relationship, calling Hartman a “gold-digger.”
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In second place, Disney-ABC’s Live With Kelly was steady at a 2.5. Guest co-hosts during the week included Cougar Town’s Busy Phillips; frequent guest co-host Jussie Smollett, star of Fox’s Empire; Kelly Ripa's husband Mark Consuelos and Chris Pratt, star of such movies as The Magnificent Seven and Guardians of the Galaxy.
Warner Bros.’ Ellen DeGeneres declined 4% to a third-place 2.2. NBCU’s Steve Harvey climbed 13% to a 1.7. Both Ellen and Steve were pushed back an hour this season in major markets to make room for local news at 4 p.m. on some NBC owned stations.
NBCU’s veteran conflict talker Maury premiered its season with a week of originals, and grew 7% for the week to a 1.5 but was down 6% from last year. Debmar-Mercury’s Wendy Williams also returned to originals for its eighth season debut, advancing 36% for the week and 7% from last year to a 1.5, tying Maury.
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CTD’s Rachael Ray recovered 8% to a 1.3, after losing a like amount in the prior week. That tied NBCU’s Jerry Springer, which added 8% in its season-premiere week. NBCU’s Steve Wilkos was unchanged at a 1.2 in its season opener, but down 14% from last year at this time to tie SPT’s Dr. Oz, which fell 8% for the week.
Warner Bros.’ Crime Watch Daily With Chris Hansen was steady in the second week of its season season at a 0.9, growing 13% from last year at this time.
CTD’s The Doctors improved 13% for the week and the year to a 0.9.
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Warner Bros.’ The Real was flat at a 0.8 down 20% from last year, talk’s biggest annual decline.
NBCU’s Harry, the only new nationally distributed first-run strip this year, dropped 14% to a 1.2 in its second week, after scoring the strongest talk premiere in three years in the prior week. Among women 25-54, Harry held firm at a 0.7.
CTD’s Judge Judy, the overall court and syndication leader for the 8th consecutive week, continued to advance in the second session of its 21st season, registering a 7.1, up 1% for the week and 11% from last year at this time.
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Also getting a favorable Nielsen verdict was CTD’s Hot Bench with a 2.4, a gain of 4% for the week and 20% for the year.
Warner Bros.’ People’s Court grew 6% to a 1.7. Warner Bros.’ Judge Mathis remained at a 1.3. Twentieth’s Divorce Court added 10% to a 1.1. Trifecta’s Judge Faith finished 14% higher at a 0.8.
Debmar-Mercury’s Family Feud remained the game-show leader for the 22nd consecutive week at an unchanged 6.3. In second place, CTD’s Wheel of Fortune had no answer for the oft-run Feud, but climbed 4% to a 6.0. CTD’s Jeopardy! jumped 6% to a 5.7. Disney-ABC’s Who Wants to be a Millionaire fell back 6% to a 1.5. Debmar-Mercury’s Celebrity Name Game stayed at a 1.3 for its third-season premiere week, up 18% from last year.
Disney-ABC’s viral video show RightThisMinute, now airing on ABC owned stations in some top markets, was flat at a 1.4.
Twentieth’s Last Man Standing, starring Tim Allen, opened its off-net run with a 1.4, tying Twentieth’s How I Met Your Mother, which is now in season 7. Mother improved 8% for the week.
Warner Bros.’ The Big Bang Theory inched up 2% to a 5.1. Twentieth’s Modern Family rose 4% to a 2.8. Warner Bros.’ Two and a Half Men remained at a 2.3. Twentieth’s Family Guy skidded 10% to a 1.8, tying Warner Bros.’ Mike and Molly, which dropped 5%. Warner Bros.’ 2 Broke Girls slid 6% to a 1.7, tying SPT’s Seinfeld. Twentieth’s The Cleveland Show slipped 7% to a 1.3, tying Twentieth’s King of the Hill, which was flat.
