Only three first-run daytime strips improved in the otherwise quiet week ended Oct. 9: Warner Bros.’ sophomore Crime Watch Daily with Chris Hansen, NBCUniversal’s Maury and Debmar-Mercury’s Wendy Williams.
Crime Watch Daily — which this season added host Chris Hansen, formerly of Dateline — climbed 11% for the week and year to a 1.0 live plus same day national household rating, according to Nielsen Media Research.
Maury added 7% for the week to a 1.6, but dropped 6% compared to last year at this time. Wendy Williams added 7% to a 1.5 and was even with last year.
CBS Television Distribution’s Dr. Phil finished first among the talkers for the fifth week in a row at a 3.2, down 6% for the week but up 7% from last year at this time. Phil also led talk among women 25-54 with a 1.5.
Disney-ABC’s Live with Kelly, Warner Bros.’ Ellen DeGeneres and NBCU’s Steve Harvey all were stable at a 2.4, 2.2 and 1.6, respectively.
Week four of NBCU’s rookie Harry, this season’s sole nationally-cleared newcomer, held steady at a 1.3, tying NBCU’s unchanged Steve Wilkos.
Related: Syndication Ratings: 'Harry' Shows Growth in Week Three
CTD’s Rachael Ray and NBCU’s Jerry Springer each retreated 8% to a 1.2, tying Sony Pictures Television’s Dr. Oz, which was flat. CTD’s The Doctors and Warner Bros.’ The Real both remained at a 0.8.
CTD’s Judge Judy eased 3% to a 6.7 to lead the courts as well as all of syndication for the tenth week in a row.
Related: Two Decades In, 'Judge Judy' Remains Queen of Court
CTD’s Hot Benchdipped 4% to a 2.2, tying Ellen for fourth place in daytime. Warner Bros.’ People’s Court and Judge Mathis and Twentieth’s Divorce Court all were steady at a 1.6, 1.3 and 1.0, respectively. Trifecta’s Judge Faith fell 13% to a 0.7.
Debmar-Mercury’s Family Feud faded 3% to a 6.3, but led the games for 24th consecutive week. CTD’s Wheel of Fortune skidded 5% to a 6.0. CTD’s Jeopardy!, which made headlines last week when host Alex Trebek called fans of so-called “nerdcore" music “losers,” dropped 3% to a 5.7.
Disney-ABC’s Who Wants to be a Millionaire broke even at a 1.6. Debmar-Mercury’s Celebrity Name Game was flat at a 1.3 for the seventh straight week.
Disney-ABC’s RightThisMinute, cleared this season on ABC owned stations in top markets and paired with Millionaire, also was flat at a 1.5.
CTD’s Entertainment Tonight dipped 3% to a 3.2. CTD’s Inside Edition was unchanged at a 2.9. Warner Bros.’ TMZ strengthened 7% to a new season-high 1.6. NBCU’s Access Hollywood and Warner Bros.’ Extra both held steady at a 1.5 and 1.3, respectively. CTD’s The Insider gave back 8% to a 1.1.
Twentieth’s Dish Nation recovered 14% to a 0.8. Trifecta’s Celebrity Page remained at a 0.3 for the 28th week in a row.
Warner Bros.’ The Big Bang Theory inched up 2% to led the off-net sitcoms at a 5.1. Twentieth’s Modern Family forged ahead 4% to a 2.7. Warner Bros.’ Two and a Half Men moved down 4% to a new series-low 2.2. Twentieth’s Family Guy stayed at a 1.9. Warner Bros.’ Mike & Molly slid 6% to a 1.7. Warner Bros.’ 2 Broke Girls sank 6% to a 1.5, tying Twentieth’s rookie Last Man Standing, which stood pat. Twentieth’s The Cleveland Show sagged 7% to a 1.3, tying Warner Bros.’ The Middle, which surged 44% to a new season high, and Twentieth’s How I Met Your Mother and King of the Hill, both of which were flat.
Dropping out of the top ten for the first time was SPT’s Seinfeld, which suffered shrinkage of 29% to a new series-low 1.2, likely due to baseball playoffs. Seinfeld’s household rating, unlike shows such as The Big Bang Theory and 2 Broke Girls, doesn’t include its cable run. Cable networks now pay cash for the long-running syndicated sitcom, so it doesn’t include national barter advertising when it airs on cable.
