The two big talk newcomers, NBCUniversal’s The Kelly Clarkson Show and Disney’s Tamron Hall, completed their first full week after premiering Monday, Sept. 9.
Despite being negatively impacted, and in some cases preempted by 9/11 memorial coverage, Kelly Clarkson had the highest-rated first week of any first-run show in six years. Clarkson clocked a 1.5 rating/5 share weighted metered market average for its primary runs, according to Nielsen Media Research, up 36% from its year-ago time periods.
That included increases of 50% on WNBC New York at 2 p.m., 86% on KABC Los Angeles at 2 p.m.; 133% on WBTS Boston at 3 p.m., and 140% on KNTV San Francisco at 3 p.m. over year-ago time periods.
Clarkson also climbed 25% on average in daytime’s key demographic of women 25-54 to a 0.5/5.
The show’s strongest performance was on WTVF Nashville where it clocked a 5.7/16 at 9 a.m., taking the time period up 30% from last year when the Scripps-produced Pickler & Ben aired.
Tamron Hall notched a 1.2/4 weighted household average in the overnights, on par with its year-ago time periods.
Tamron’s opening week was the best of any new syndicated talker, other than Clarkson, since NBCU’s Meredith Vieira premiered on Sept. 8, 2014, five years ago. Tamron finished first or second in its time periods in six of the top-ten markets, including gains of 19% on WABC New York at 10 a.m., 43% on KABC Los Angeles at 1 p.m., 44% on WPVI Philadelphia at 10 a.m. and WSB Atlanta at 3 p.m., and 80% on KTRK Houston at 1 p.m.
Among women 25-54, Tamron averaged a 0.5/4 with 100% retention of its year-ago time periods. The new talker’s biggest numbers were a 2.8/7 on WHBQ Memphis at 1 p.m., up 40% from its lead-in,and a 2.5/8 on WPBF West Palm Beach, Fla., at 10 a.m., up 38% over what Sony Pictures Television’s Dr. Oz had been doing in the same time slot last year.
Related: 'Kelly Clarkson,' 'Tamron Hall' Step Out Strong on Opening Day
SPT’s The Mel Robbins Show debuted Monday, Sept. 16, with a preliminary 0.4 rating/2 share weighted metered market average for all telecasts, which was down 50% from its year-ago time periods. Among women 25-54, Robbins opened with a preliminary 0.2/2, off 33% from the show’s Sept. 2018 time-period average. Mel Robbins is cleared in 90% of the country with Tribune and Nexstar stations as its primary launch group on an all-barter basis.
Related: SPT Debuts 'The Mel Robbins Show'
National household ratings for Kelly Clarkson and Tamron Hall will come out next week.
In the national ratings for the week ended Sept. 8, which included Labor Day, coverage of the life and death of Valerie Harper boosted three of the top entertainment magazines.
Harper, who died on Aug. 30, shot to stardom in the 1970s hit The Mary Tyler Moore Show as Rhoda Morgenstern, the wise-cracking BFF of Mary Richards (Moore) and later on her own show, Rhoda. Harper was first diagnosed with cancer in 2009 and given three months to live in 2013. That same year, she performed on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars.
Despite the Sept. 2 holiday and preemptions for football and Hurricane Dorian coverage throughout the week, CBS Television Distribution’s Entertainment Tonight, NBCU’s Access Hollywood and Warner Bros.’ Extra were among only a handful of first-run strips able to push into positive territory.
CTD’s Inside Edition led the magazines at an unchanged 2.6, while ET ticked up 4% to an eight-week high 2.5. Access Hollywood improved 10% to a 1.1, tying Warner Bros.’ flat TMZ. Extra broke a tie with CTD’s DailyMailTV, surging 11% to a 1.0.
DailyMail, which aired repackaged episodes on all five days, held steady at a 0.9. Twentieth’s Page Six TV, which is about to stop the presses for good, stayed at a 0.5. Trifecta’s Celebrity Page posted a 0.2 for the tenth straight week.
Most of the veteran talkers did not debut their new seasons until Sept. 9.
CTD’s Dr. Phil extended its long string of first-place talk finishes to 157 weeks with five ties. Phil dipped 4% to a 2.2 with a week of four originals and one repeat on Labor Day. Among women 25-54, Phil also led with a 1.0.
Disney’s Live with Kelly and Ryan opened season 32 with a steady 1.9 to snag second place for the 28th straight week.
Warner Bros.’ Ellen DeGeneres, NBCU’s Maury and Steve Wilkos, CTD’s Rachael Ray, the final week of NBCU’s Steve and Debmar-Mercury’s Wendy Williams all stood pat at a 1.4, 1.2, 1.0, 1.0, 0.9 and 0.9, respectively.
Related: Fox Renews 'Wendy Williams' Through 2021-22 TV Season
Dr. Oz weakened 11% to a 0.8, matching its series low. CTD’s Face the Truth, which is ending soon, stayed at a 0.6 for the sixth straight week.
CTD’s The Doctors found a pulse after five straight weeks at a series-low 0.4, recovering 25% to a 0.5. Warner Bros.’ The Real retreated 20% to a 0.4, tying NBCU’s out-of-production syndicated run of Jerry Springer, which was unchanged. And the concluding Pickler & Ben remained at a 0.3 for the ninth consecutive week.
The top three court shows, none of which had yet launched its new season, were all slightly lower.
CTD’s Judge Judy led all of syndication for a sixth straight week, even though the show fell 5% to a 6.1.
CTD’s Hot Bench dipped 5% to a 2.0 with reruns on three of the five days but was still the number-three show in daytime after only Judy and Phil.
Warner Bros.’ People’s Court eased 8% to a 1.2. Warner Bros.’ Judge Mathis, Twentieth’s Divorce Court and Debmar-Mercury’s Caught in Providence all stayed at a 0.9, 0.7 and 0.5, respectively.
Debmar-Mercury’s Family Feud fell 2% to a 5.7 but held the game lead for the 13th straight week. CTD’s Wheel of Fortune was flat at a 4.8, while CTD’s Jeopardy! jumped 5% to a 4.6.
Related: 'Jeopardy!'s Alex Trebek Back in Chemotherapy
Disney’s Who Wants to be a Millionaire, nearing its exit, lost 7% to a 1.3, while Entertainment Studios’ Funny You Should Ask remained at a 0.5 for the 26th week in a row.
Disney’s viral video show RightThisMinute added 9% to a 1.2.
NBCU’s off-network Dateline was stable at the top of the true-crime shows at a 1.2. SPT’s off-A&E Live PD Police Patrol shot up 11% to a 1.0, while off Investigation Discovery’s True Crime Files was unchanged at a 0.3.
NBCU’s off-network scripted police procedural Chicago PD captured a 13% gain to a 0.9.
Warner Bros.’ The Big Bang Theory edged ahead 3% to a 3.7 to lead the off-net sitcoms.
Related: 'The Big Bang Theory' Streams to HBO Max
Twentieth’s Last Man Standing stood pat at a 2.1, while Twentieth’s Modern Family faded 6% to a new series-low 1.5. Warner Bros.’ Two and a Half Men moved up 8% to a 1.3. SPT’s The Goldbergs leveled off at a 1.2. Twentieth’s Family Guy slumped 9% to a 1.0, tying Disney’s rookie Black-ish, Warner Bros.’ Mike & Molly, which has been at a 1.0 for four weeks, and SPT’s Seinfeld, which stayed put for the 12th straight week.
Related: Netflix Snags Global Streaming Rights to 'Seinfeld' Starting in 2021
Rounding out the top 11 off-net sitcoms, Warner Bros.’ 2 Broke Girls eroded 11% to a 0.8, tying Warner Bros.’ Mom, which held steady for a 10th straight week.
