Summer set in during the week ended June 6, with most syndicated shows down or flat and many programs seeing season lows. With May sweeps completed, promotion tapered off and most shows went into repeats.
CBS Television Distribution's Judge Judy remained daytime's top-rated show. Week to week, Judy dropped 9% to a 4.2, but the show was still up 5% from last year. CTD's Judge Joe Brown eased 5% to a 2.0. Warner Bros.' People's Court slipped 5% to a 1.9, while its Judge Mathis was flat at a 1.6. Twentieth's Judge Alex lost 7% to a 1.3. Twentieth's Divorce Court was flat at a 1.3. Warner Bros.' Judge Jeanine Pirro trailed the field with a 1.0, down 9%.
Among talkers, CTD's Oprah faded 14% to a 3.6, despite featuring an exclusive interview with former British royal Sarah Ferguson on June 1. CTD's Dr. Phil also dropped 14% to a 2.4. Disney-ABC's Live with Regis and Kelly retreated 8% to a 2.3. Warner Bros.' Ellen DeGeneres sank 20% to a 2.0. NBC Universal's Maury held its own, remaining steady at a 2.0. CTD's The Doctors dipped 6% to a 1.6. NBCU's Jerry Springer was the only talker to improve on the week, jumping 8% to a 1.4. CTD's Rachael Ray slipped 7% to a 1.3. NBCU's Steve Wilkos was the only show among NBCU's talk trio to decline, fading 8% to a 1.2. Warner Bros.' Bonnie Hunt, which is finishing up its run, lost 13% to a 0.7. NBCU's Martha Stewart, which also is concluding its run, skidded 17% to a last-place 0.5. Hallmark Channel will air a new season of Martha this fall.
Sony's Dr. Oz, which is in the process of being renewed through 2014, continued to lead the talk rookies, but slid to a new series low 2.1, dropping 9% for the week. Twentieth's Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader jumped 8% to a 1.3. Debmar-Mercury's Wendy Williams dropped 8% to a 1.1. Litton's Street Court, which isn't expected to return, was far back at a 0.6, although up 20% from the prior week's 0.5.
In access, CTD's Entertainment Tonight and its ET Weekend rose with extensive coverage of the death of TV icons Gary Coleman and Rue McClanahan. ET and ET Weekend were the only magazines to improve, with both shows gaining for the week and year. ET added 3% for both the week and the year to a 3.9. ET Weekend gained 18% for the week and 25% for the year to a 2.0.
CTD's Inside Edition dropped 7% to hit a new season low 2.7. Warner Bros.' TMZ lost 10% to a 1.8. NBCU's Access Hollywood fell 11% to a new season-low 1.7. CTD's The Insider remained flat at a 1.6, while Warner Bros.' Extra sank 6% to a 1.6.
Among game shows, CTD's Wheel of Fortune had a bumpy week, dipping 5% to a new season-low 5.8. CTD's Jeopardy! was down 4% to a 5.0. Disney-ABC's Who Wants to be a Millionaire remain unchanged at a 2.1. Debmar-Mercury's Family Feud was the only genre entrant to gain, rising 7% to a 1.5. NBC U's Deal or No Deal, which goes off the air in September, was flat at a 1.1.
Off-net sitcoms were mixed. Warner Bros.' leader, Two and a Half Men, fell 9% to a 4.1. Twentieth's Family Guy fell 3% to a 3.0, tying CTD's Everybody Loves Raymond, which gained 3%. Warner Bros.' George Lopez advanced 4% to a 2.7. Sony's Seinfeld retreated 4% to a 2.5. Twentieth's King of the Hill and Warner Bros.' Friends each were unchanged at a 2.3 and 2.0, respectively. Debmar-Mercury's House of Payne gained 7% to a 1.6, while CTD's Frasier and Sony's King of Queens each were flat at a 1.5 and 1.4, respectively.
NBCU's The Office, the only rookie off-net, was down 4% from the prior week to a 2.6, making it the fifth-ranked overall sitcom. The Office ties Twentieth's Family Guy as the top show among women ages 18-34 with a 2.6.
