Syndication Ratings: ‘Jeopardy!’ Celebrates a Happy New Year With Million-Dollar Winner Amy Schneider
‘Jeopardy!’ stays in syndication lead in week ended Jan. 2
Jeopardy! remained syndication’s top show in the week ended January 2, with its latest million-dollar winner, Amy Schneider, who through January 11 has won 30 consecutive games and surpassed the $1 million mark, something only four other people have done.
CBS Media Ventures’ Jeopardy! jumped 10% from the prior week to a 5.6 live plus same day national household rating, according to Nielsen. That topped Debmar-Mercury’s Family Feud, starring Steve Harvey, which improved 6% to a 5.4 for second place in both syndication and among game shows. Per usual, Feud led all of syndication in the key women 25-54 demographic at a 1.9.
CBS’s Wheel of Fortune accelerated 9% to a third-place 5.0.
Fox’s freshman You Bet Your Life, starring Jay Leno, lost 13% to a 0.7, tying Fox’s 25 Words or Less, which logged a 0.7 for the fifth time in seven weeks. Entertainment Studios’ Funny You Should Ask continued at a 0.4 for the tenth straight week.
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Disney’s internet video show RightThisMinute ratcheted up 17% to a new season-high 0.7.
CBS’s magazine leader Inside Edition was flat at a 2.1, but corporate cousin Entertainment Tonight spiked 11% to a 2.0. NBCUniversal’s Access Hollywood strengthened 14% to a 0.8, matching its season high. Fox’s TMZ, Warner Bros.’ Extra, CBS’s DailyMailTV and Fox’s Dish Nation all stayed put at a 0.7, 0.6, 0.5 and 0.2, respectively.
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In daytime, shows cleared on CBS affiliates were pre-empted on December 31 for coverage of college football’s Sun Bowl.
Disney’s Live with Kelly and Ryan remained the talk leader for a second straight week, staying at its season-high 1.8. Among women 25-54, Live led with a 0.7, followed by CBS’ Dr. Phil at a 0.6.
In households, Phil nipped at Live’s heels with a 13% gain to a second-place 1.7, despite being completely in repeats.
Warner Bros.’ Ellen DeGeneres, also in repeats, was steady at a 0.9. An all-rerun week of NBCU’s Kelly Clarkson eased 11% to a 0.8, tying CBS’s Rachael Ray, which stayed put, and NBCU’s conflict talker Maury, which recovered 14% from a series low.
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Debmar-Mercury’s Wendy Williams stood pat at a 0.7 with encore episodes as the host remained out on medical leave.
Disney’s Tamron Hall, also in a week of repeats, preserved its 0.6, tying NBCU’s conflict talker Steve Wilkos, which held steady for a tenth straight week.
CBS’ Drew Barrymore, Sony Pictures Television’s Dr. Oz and Debmar-Mercury’s rookie Nick Cannon were all in line with the prior week’s 0.5, 0.5 and 0.4, respectively.
NBCU’s out-of-production Jerry Springer stayed at a 0.3 for the fifteenth week in a row, tying Warner Bros.’ The Real, which registered a 0.3 for the 32nd time in 33 weeks. Bringing up the rear was CBS’s The Doctors, which flatlined at a 0.2 for the 43rd straight week.
‘Judge Judy’ Rules the Court Shows
CBS’s Judge Judy was once again the high court, jumping 7% to a 4.9 and ranking as the No. 4 show in syndication. Although Judy is no longer in originals, among women 25-54, Judy took second in overall syndication at a 1.8, second only to regular demo leader Family Feud at a 1.9.
CBS’s Hot Bench booked a 7% improvement to a 1.5 in households.
Warner Bros.’ People’s Court collected a 0.8 for the tenth time in 11 weeks. Warner Bros.’ Judge Mathis maintained a 0.6 for the sixteenth consecutive week. Fox’s Divorce Court was awarded a 0.5 for the fifth straight week, tying NBCU’s Judge Jerry, which rebounded 25% from a series low to a 0.5. Wrigley Media’s rookie Relative Justice delivered a 0.3 for the fourth week in a row.
Warner Bros.’ The Big Bang Theory continued to lead the off-network sitcoms with a steady 2.0. Disney’s Last Man Standing stepped up 8% to a 1.4. Both Warner Bros.’ newbie Young Sheldon and veteran Two and a Half Men motored ahead 13% to a 0.9. Disney’s Modern Family featured a 0.8 for the fourth straight week, tying Sony’s The Goldbergs, which held steady for a fifth week. Sony’s Seinfeld snared its fourth consecutive 0.7. Disney’s Family Guy gave back 14% to a 0.6, tying Disney’s Black-ish, which boasted a 0.6 for the fifth week in row. Finally, Warner Bros.’ Mike & Molly managed a second 0.5, tying Warner Bros.’ Mom, which maintained for a fifth week. ■
Contributing editor Paige Albiniak has been covering the business of television for more than 25 years. She is a longtime contributor to Next TV, Broadcasting + Cable and Multichannel News. She concurrently serves as editorial director for The Global Entertainment Marketing Academy of Arts & Sciences (G.E.M.A.). She has written for such publications as TVNewsCheck, The New York Post, Variety, CBS Watch and more. Albiniak was B+C’s Los Angeles bureau chief from September 2002 to 2004, and an associate editor covering Congress and lobbying for the magazine in Washington, D.C., from January 1997 - September 2002.