Bolstered by coverage of Matt Lauer’s abrupt firing from NBC’s Today on allegations of sexual misconduct, syndication’s top-five access magazines soared to season highs in the post-Thanksgiving week ended Dec. 3.
CBS Television Distribution’s magazine leader Entertainment Tonight leapt 22% to a new season-high 3.3 live plus same day national household ratings average, according to Nielsen Media Research, that show’s biggest rating since the week of March 13.
CTD’s Inside Edition — which has been bolstered this season by access upgrades inherited from CTD’s defunct ET spin-off The Insider —advanced 3% to a new season-high 3.2, just behind ET.
Warner Bros.’ TMZ rebounded 25% after falling to a new season low in the prior frame to a 1.5, matching its season high. NBCUniversal’s Access Hollywood jumped 8% to a 1.4, matching its season high. Warner Bros.’ Extra also climbed 8% to a 1.3, on par with its season high.
Trifecta’s Celebrity Page remained unchanged at a 0.3.
Games also were higher with Debmar-Mercury’s game leader Family Feud ricocheting off its season low to climb 18% to a 6.7. CTD’s Jeopardy! jumped 12% to a 6.4. CTD’s Wheel of Fortune accelerated 13% to a 6.3, and was the third-rated game for the eighth week in a row.
Disney-ABC’s Who Wants to be a Millionaire remained at a 1.7 for the fourth straight week.
Disney-ABC’s viral video show RightThisMinute rebounded 7% to a 1.5. NBCU’s off-net true-crime strip Dateline regained 8% to a 1.3.
While access shows spiked week to week, many daytime shows saw less dramatic changes after excluding Thanksgiving and Black Friday from their averages in the prior week.
CTD’s talk leader Dr. Phil led the pack for the 65th consecutive week in the first full week following the November sweep, surging 18% to a 3.3. Among daytime’s key demographic of women 25-54, Phil also led with a 1.4.
Warner Bros.’ Ellen DeGeneres declined 4% to a 2.5, followed by Disney-ABC’s Live with Kelly and Ryan, which also receded 4% to a 2.3. Rounding out the top-four slots in talk, NBCU’s Steve held steady at its season-high 1.4, but jumped 17% among women 25-54 to a new season-high 0.7. Steve tied NBCU’s unchanged Maury in households.
Debmar-Mercury’s Wendy Williams stood pat at a 1.3. CTD’s Rachael Ray retreated 8% to a 1.2. NBCU’s Jerry Springer and Steve Wilkos both sank 8% to a 1.1, tying Sony Pictures Television’s Dr. Oz, which also shed 8%. Warner Bros.’ Crime Watch Daily with Chris Hansen added 13% to a 0.9, tying NBCU’s Harry, which was steady. CTD’s The Doctors remained at a 0.8 for the 13th straight week, tying Warner Bros.’ The Real, which rose 14%.
CTD’s Daily Mail TV continued to lead the first-run rookies for the 11th consecutive week, rallying 11% to a 1.0. Twentieth’s Page Six TV snapped back 33%, marking syndication’s largest weekly increase, to a 0.8. Among women 25-54, the two shows both jumped 25% to a tie at a 0.5.
Entertainment Studios’ Funny You Should Ask was unchanged at a 0.5 in households, but rose 50% to a 0.3 among women 25-54. Disney-ABC’s Pickler & Ben, produced by Scripps, remained at a 0.3 for an 11th week and stayed at a 0.2 in the key demo.
CTD’s Judge Judy, fresh off its November sweep win, dipped 3% to a 7.2 to remain the syndication leader for the 15th time in 16 weeks.
CTD’s Hot Bench backed off 4% to a 2.4. Warner Bros.’ People’s Court was unchanged at a 1.6, while Warner Bros.’ Judge Mathis careened off its season low from the prior week to swell 20% to a 1.2. Twentieth’s Divorce Court and Trifecta’s Judge Faith both were flat at a 0.9 and 0.6, respectively.
Warner Bros.’ The Big Bang Theory added 14% to lead the off-net sitcoms at a 5.0. Twentieth’s Modern Family strengthened 19% to a 2.5. Twentieth’s Family Guy gained 13% to a 1.7. Warner Bros.’ Two and a Half Men tumbled 24% to a new series-low 1.6, down 38% from last year at this time, tying SPT’s newcomer The Goldbergs, which fell 6%; Twentieth’s Last Man Standing, which added 7%; and Warner Bros.’ Mike & Molly, which gained 7% to hit a new season high. Warner Bros.’ 2 Broke Girls grew 8% to a 1.3. Twentieth’s The Cleveland Show and SPT’s Seinfeld were unchanged at a 1.1.
Warner Bros.’ Mom increased 13% to a 0.9, while CTD’s The Game continued to score a 0.4 for the 12th straight week.
