Jeopardy, with the semi-finals of its annual Tournament of Champions, led the games and all of syndication for the ninth straight week in the week ended November 13, which included Election Day. CBS Media Ventures’ Jeopardy climbed 4% to hit a new season-high 5.5 live plus same day national household rating.
The semi-finals on November 9, 10 and 11 produced the tourney’s final three players: Amy Schneider, Sam Buttrey and Andrew He. Schneider went on to win three games and take the $250,000 prize on November 21.
Debmar-Mercury’s Family Feud, starring Steve Harvey, and CBS’ Wheel of Fortune were both flat at a 4.8.
Fox First Run’s 25 Words or Less, starring and executive produced by Meredith Vieira, and sister show You Bet Your Life with host Jay Leno both backtracked 13% to a 0.7. CBS’ Pictionary, starring Jerry O’Connell, remained at its season-high 0.5 for a second week.
Allen Media Group’s Funny You Should Ask averaged a 0.3 for a sixth straight week.
CBS’ magazine leaders Inside Edition and Entertainment Tonight each eased 5% to a 2.0 and a 1.9, respectively. NBCUniversal’s Access Hollywood added 14% to a 0.8. Fox’s TMZ tacked on 17% to a 0.7. Warner Bros.’ Extra slipped 17% to a 0.5. Fox’s Dish Nation was knocked back 33% from a 0.3 to a 0.2 where it has been holding for 31 of the past 32 weeks.
Daytime shows were hit by competition from cable coverage of the hotly contested midterm elections on November 8 as well as follow-up coverage on November 9 and 10 as viewers migrated to the 24-hour cable news channels to watch results.
The only veteran court to improve was CBS’ Hot Bench, which spiked 8% to a 1.3 and matched its season high. This was the second week with new judges Yodit Tewolde and Rachel Juarez joining veteran Michael Corriero on the bench. Overall, Hot Bench was daytime’s third-highest rated show, tying CBS’ Dr. Phil and coming in behind repeats of CBS’ Judge Judy and original episodes of Disney’s Live with Kelly and Ryan.
Judge Judy stayed at a 4.3 for a third straight week. Warner Bros.’ People’s Court and Judge Mathis, Fox’s Divorce Court and Wrigley Media’s Relative Justice all broke even at a 0.8, 0.6, 0.5 and 0.3, respectively.
Rookie true crime strip iCrime with Elizabeth Vargas captured a ninth consecutive 0.5, while Allen Media Group’s freshman court We the People with Lauren Lake logged a new season-high 0.4, up 33%.
Among the closely watched rookie talkers, NBCUniversal’s Karamo was the only show to improve, climbing 33% to a new season-high 0.4.
Debmar-Mercury’s Sherri stayed at a 0.7 for the ninth straight week and led among daytime’s key demographic of women 25-54 with a 0.4. Warner Bros.’ Jennifer Hudson, which had hit its highest household rating since its September premiere in the prior week, fell back 14% to a 0.6, but stayed put among women 25-54 at a 0.3.
Live, which was the only veteran talker to improve in households in the prior week, preserved its season-high 1.6. That topped the talk shows for the 25th consecutive week, including eight ties with Dr. Phil. Live has now been first or tied for first 90 times in the past 111 weeks. Among women 25-54, Live led with a 0.6, followed by Dr. Phil and Sherri, each at a 0.4.
Back in households, Dr. Phil, NBCU’s Kelly Clarkson, CBS’ Drew Barrymore, Disney’s Tamron Hall and CBS’ Rachael Ray all remained at 1.3, 0.9, 0.8, 0.7 and 0.7, respectively.
NBCU’s Steve Wilkos strengthened 20% to a 0.6. Encore episodes of NBCU’s Maury and its Jerry Springer talk-and-court combo continued at a 0.5 and a 0.3, respectively.
With the World Series concluded on Fox, off-net sitcoms bounced back. Warner Bros.’ The Big Bang Theory regained 19% from its series low set the prior week to a 1.9. Disney’s Last Man Standing jumped 10% to a 1.1. Disney’s Family Guy and Warner Bros.’ Young Sheldon both shot up 14% to a new season-high 0.8. Disney’s Modern Family and Warner Bros.’ Two and a Half Men each maintained at a 0.7. Sony Pictures Television’s The Goldbergs gathered a 0.6 for a fifth straight week, tying Sony’s Seinfeld, which surged 20%. CBS’ The Neighborhood welcomed a 0.5 for a ninth straight week, while Disney’s Black-ish blocked out a 0.4 for the 13th straight week. ▪️
