In the week prior to the Olympics, syndies were up across the board with Jeopardy! continuing to lead the pack even without star contestant Amy Schneider, who lost her 40th game on Wednesday, January 26.
CBS Media Ventures’ Jeopardy! dipped 3% without Schneider to a still-syndication-leading 6.3 live plus same day national household rating, according to Nielsen Media Research, in the week ended February 6. The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics on NBC officially kicked off with the Opening Ceremonies on Friday, February 4, although some events got started early.
Sister show Wheel of Fortune inched up 2% while Debmar-Mercury’s Family Feud fell 3% to tie for second place among syndication and games in households at a 5.8. Feud remained the syndication leader among the key women 25-54 demographic at a 2.0.
Fox’s 25 Words or Less, hosted and executive produced by Meredith Vieira, leaped 13% to a new season-high 0.9, while Fox’s rookie game You Bet Your Life with host Jay Leno stayed at a 0.8 for a fifth straight week. Entertainment Studios’ Funny You Should Ask accumulated a 0.4 for the 15th week in a row.
Five of the seven magazines improved on the week and none declined, even though late in the week Olympic Zone specials started up on NBC stations in access.
CBS’ Inside Edition recovered 9% from the prior week to a 2.5, while sister series Entertainment Tonight rallied 10% to a three-week high 2.3. Fox’s TMZ shot up 29% to a new season-high 0.9. NBCUniversal’s Access Hollywood was heavily preempted by the Olympics in many markets but held its ground at a 0.8. Warner Bros.’ Extra broke out of a tie with CBS’ DailyMailTV and sprinted 17% to a 0.7, matching its season high. DailyMailTV, meanwhile, posted a 0.6 for the fourth time in five weeks. Fox’s Dish Nation knocked out a 50% increase to a 0.3 from a 0.2.
Disney’s internet video show RightThisMinute was down 14% to a 0.6.
Talk shows were all flat to down with two big exceptions: CBS’ Rachael Ray and Disney’s Tamron Hall, both of which hit new season highs. Rachael Ray rose 13% to a 0.9, while Tamron Hall strengthened 14% to a 0.8 in households and spiked 50% among women 25-54 to a 0.3.
Disney’s Live with Kelly and Ryan tied CBS’ Dr. Phil to lead the talkers at a steady season-high 1.8, while Phil fell back 5% after four weeks in sole possession of first place. Among women 25-54, Phil and Live also tied with each show at a 0.7.
Warner Bros.’ Ellen DeGeneres was the only one of the top three to hold 100% of last year’s rating, staying put at a 1.0. NBCU’s Kelly Clarkson was plagued with Olympic preemptions and was completely broken out on Feb. 4 pulling back 10% to a 0.9 to tie Rachael Ray.
NBCU’s conflict talker Maury and Debmar-Mercury’s Wendy Williams both stayed at a 0.8, tying Tamron Hall.
CBS’ Drew Barrymore booked a season-best 0.6 for the fifth week in a row and was the only talk show in original production to outperform its year-ago rating, improving 20% and tying NBCU’s Steve Wilkos, which was steady for a 15th consecutive week.
Debmar-Mercury’s newcomer Nick Cannon clocked a 0.5 for the third time in five weeks. Fellow rookie Sony Pictures Television’s The Good Dish declined 20% to a 0.4 in its third week, tying NBCU’s out-of-production Jerry Springer, which stayed put for a third week. Warner Bros.’ The Real remained at a 0.3, while CBS’ The Doctors delivered a 0.2 for the 48th consecutive week.
CBS’ Judge Judy, energetic in encore episodes, added 4% to hit a three-week high 5.3 and lead the courts.
CBS’ Hot Bench stayed at a season-high 1.6 for the fifth straight week. Warner Bros.’ People’s Court and Judge Mathis and Fox’s Divorce Court all remained at a 0.9, 0.7 and a 0.5, respectively. NBCU’s Judge Jerry rebounded 25% to a 0.5, finishing in a draw with Divorce Court. Wrigley Media’s rookie Relative Justice stayed at a 0.4 for a fifth straight week.
Warner Bros.’ The Big Bang Theory improved 5% to remain the off-network sitcom leader at a 2.3. Disney’s Last Man Standing slipped 7% to a 1.4. Warner Bros.’ rookie Young Sheldon stayed at a 1.0 for a fifth straight week. Warner Bros.’ Two and a Half Men added 13% to a 0.9. Disney’s Family Guy, Sony’s The Goldbergs and Disney’s Modern Family all held steady at a 0.8. Sony’s Seinfeld scored its ninth straight 0.7. Warner Bros.’ Mom bounced back 20% to a 0.6 tying Disney’s Black-ish, which held steady for an eighth straight week. ■
