Records were broken in syndication in the week ending April 14, with Jeopardy! contestant James Holzhauer continuing to break single-day cash-winning records and Judge Judy sitting atop syndication in the household ratings for the longest streak in 15 years.
Holzhauer, a professional sports gambler from Las Vegas, won $110, 914 on April 9 to set the single-day Jeopardy! winnings record then broke that record with a $131,137 payday on April 17.
The payoff for CBS Television Distribution’s Jeopardy! was a 5% bump to a 6.4 live plus same day national Nielsen rating, and first place among the games.
Related: James Holzhauer Breaks His Own Record for Total Cash Won in Single 'Jeopardy!' Game
Meanwhile, Debmar-Mercury’s Family Feud was flat at a 6.0 in second place among the games, while CTD’s Wheel of Fortune skidded 3% to a 5.9.
Disney’s Who Wants to be a Millionaire and Entertainment Studios’ Funny You Should Ask were both unchanged at a 1.6 and 0.5, respectively.
Disney’s viral video show RightThisMinute moved down 8% to a 1.2.
CTD’s court-show leader Judge Judy was in repeats on four of the five days and dipped 1% to a 6.7 but was number one in the household ratings for the 40th straight week with four ties, setting the modern-day record for the longest winning streak at the top of the overall syndication household ratings since 2004.
The longest winning streak prior to Judge Judy’s belonged to CTD’s Wheel of Fortune which topped the ratings for 39 straight weeks in the 2006-07 season.
CTD’s Hot Bench aired repeats on two days but held steady at a 2.3 and ranked as third third highest daytime strip behind only Judy and CTD’s Dr. Phil. Warner Bros.’ People’s Court climbed 7% to a 1.5, while Warner Bros.’ Judge Mathis and Twentieth’s Divorce Court settled for a stable 1.0 and 0.7, respectively.
Elsewhere in daytime, Dr Phil improved 4% to a four-week high 2.8 despite airing encore episodes on two days and led the talkers for the 136th consecutive week with five ties. Among daytime’s key demographic of women 25-54, Phil also led with a 1.2.
Disney’s Live with Kelly and Ryan eased 4% to a 2.2, but held on to second place for the seventh straight week. Warner Bros.’ Ellen DeGeneres remained at a 1.9 in originals.
Debmar-Mercury’s Wendy Williams rebounded 27% to a 1.4 as the show returned to originals after falling by a like amount in the prior week with reruns while the show was in a spring production hiatus. On April 18, Williams’ husband, manager and executive producer Kevin Hunter exited the show after Williams filed for divorce after 20 years of marriage.
Related: Kevin Hunter Out as Executive Producer of 'Wendy Williams'
NBCU’s Maury slumped 7% to a 1.3, while NBCU’s Steve, starring Steve Harvey, held steady at a 1.2. NBCU’s Steve Wilkos was on par with the prior week’s 1.1. CTD’s Rachael Ray retreated 9% to a 1.0, tying Sony Pictures Television’s Dr. Oz, which held at a 1.0 for the fourth straight week.
Warner Bros.’ The Real recovered 17% to a 0.7. CTD’s The Doctors, which was recently renewed, dropped 17% to a 0.5 matching its series low. Disney’s Pickler & Ben, produced by E. W. Scripps, posted a 0.4 for a 12th straight week, tying the syndicated version of NBCU’s out-of-production Jerry Springer, which held steady for a 31st straight week.
CTD’s recently canceled freshman Face the Truth was flat at a 0.8 for the sixth week in a row, while Debmar-Mercury’s already renewed Caught in Providence rallied 20% to a 0.6.
Related: It's One and Done for 'Face the Truth'
CTD’s Entertainment Tonight and Inside Edition both slipped 3% to a 2.8. During that week, Inside Edition was without host Deborah Norville who took time off to have surgery. Norville returned on Monday, April 15.
Related: Deborah Norville Returns to 'Inside Edition'
NBCU’s Access was steady at a 1.3, tying an unchanged Warner Bros.’ TMZ. In addition, Access, which was the only top-tier magazine ahead of last year, growing 8% annually, is parting company with Natalie Morales, one of its three anchors.
Related: Natalie Morales Exiting 'Access'
Warner Bros.’ Extra eased 9% to a 1.0, tying CTD’s steady DailyMailTV, which was just renewed for season three.
Twentieth’s recently canceled PageSixTV and Trifecta’s Celebrity Page each stayed at a 0.6 and 0.3, respectively.
NBCU’s off-net strip Dateline led the true-crime shows for the 31st straight week, spiking 8% to a 1.4. SPT’s off-A&E Live PD Police Patrol posted a 10% increase to a 1.1 while off-Investigation Discovery’s True Crime Files, which will return next season, warranted an unchanged 0.3.
Meanwhile, NBCU’s scripted strip Chicago PD backtracked 20% to a 0.8.
Related: Crime Keeps Paying Off in Syndication
Warner Bros.’ The Big Bang Theory, which is nearing the end of its primetime run on CBS, led the off-net sitcoms at a constant 4.4. Twentieth’s Last Man Standing sprinted ahead 5% to a 2.3. Twentieth’s Modern Family fell 6% to a 1.7. SPT’s The Goldbergs gave back 7% to a 1.4, tying Warner Bros.’ Two and a Half Men, which remained at a 1.4. Twentieth’s Family Guy was flat at a 1.3. Warner Bros.’ Mike & Molly maintained a 1.1, tying Disney’s Black-ish, which added 10%. Warner Bros.’ 2 Broke Girls earned a 1.0 for the 12th consecutive week, tying SPT’s Seinfeld, which was stable for the sixth straight week.
