That’s not true in early fringe and access, however, where sports and news preemptions ruled the week.
The recent wave of preemptions plaguing daytime finally subsided in the week ended Oct. 25, allowing all of the top-tier talkers to make a ratings splash.
Disney’s sophomore Tamron Hall was the genre’s biggest mover, surging 29% to a new season-high 0.9 live plus same day national household rating, according to Nielsen Media Research. Tamron also climbed 33% in daytime’s key women 25-54 demographic to a 0.4, tying Debmar-Mercury’s Wendy Williams and NBCU’s Steve Wilkos.
Related: Disney/ABC Renews ‘Tamron Hall’ for Season 3
NBCUniversal’s sophomore Kelly Clarkson, which was the sole talk show to advance in the prior week, also improved, elevating 11% to a 1.0, matching its season high and jumping into fourth place among the talkers for the first time this season.
Related: Syndication Ratings: ‘Kelly Clarkson’ is Only Talker to Rise
CBS Television Distribution’s Dr. Phil continued to lead the genre, advancing 5% to a new season-high 2.0. Phil has finished first or tied for first in the category 200 times in the past 216 weeks.
Disney’s Live with Kelly and Ryan, which has been first or tied for first in four of the past seven weeks, rebounded 19% to a close second place 1.9. Among women 25-54, Live and Phil tied for first in talk at a 0.8.
Warner Bros.’ Ellen DeGeneres held on to third place with an unchanged 1.1, staying at its season low for a third straight week and underperforming last year at this time by 39%, the biggest year-to-year decline of any of the top-ten talkers.
NBCU’s Maury dropped 10% to a new series-low 0.9 tying Wilkos, which was flat for the 13th straight week; Wendy Williams, which held steady for a third consecutive week; CTD’s Rachael Ray, which rose 13%; and the aforementioned Tamron Hall.
SPT’s Dr. Oz, Warner Bros.’ The Real, CTD’s The Doctors and NBCU’s out-of-production syndicated run of Jerry Springer all were on par with the prior week’s 0.6, 0.4, 0.3 and 0.2, respectively, with Oz, Doctors and Springer remaining at series lows.
CTD’s rookie talker Drew Barrymore held at a 0.6 for a third straight week, tying Oz.
CTD’s Judge Judy, which will end its run in first-run syndication at the end of this season and begin a new show on Amazon Studios’ IMdb streaming service next year, eased 6% to lead the courts at a 5.1.
Related: Judge Judy Sheindlin Gets New Show on Amazon’s IMDbTV
CTD’s Hot Bench, which is most likely to be the high court when Judy departs, held steady at a 1.6 for a fourth straight week.
Warner Bros.’ People Court remained at a 1.1 for a fourth consecutive week, while NBCU’s sophomore Judge Jerry recovered 14% to a 0.8, tying Warner Bros.’ Judge Mathis, which declined 11%. Fox’s Divorce Court and Trifecta’s Protection Court each were unchanged at a 0.7 and a 0.3, respectively.
In access and early fringe, shows were blacked out in some markets for baseball’s World Series on Fox, the final Presidential Debate and two football games on Monday, Oct. 19.
Magazine leaders CTD’s Inside Edition and Entertainment Tonight both strengthened with Inside adding 5% to a 2.3 and ET growing 10% to a 2.2. NBCU’s Access Hollywood held its ground at a 1.0.
For the first time this season, Warner Bros.’ Extra moved into sole possession of fourth place, hanging tough at a 0.7 even though it was preempted 70 times in the top 20 markets, including losing its primary run for four days in Los Angeles.
CTD’s DailyMailTV delivered an unchanged 0.6. Warner Bros.’ TMZ fell 29% to a new series-low 0.5. Fox’s Dish Nation and Trifecta’s Celebrity Page remained at a 0.3 and 0.2, respectively.
Debmar-Mercury’s Family Feud led the games for the 20th straight week, and all of syndication, although it fell 4% to a 5.3. CTD’s Jeopardy! stayed put at a 5.0, tying CTD’s Wheel of Fortune, which accelerated 4%.
Further back, Fox’s 25 Words or Less perked up 13% to a 0.9, while Entertainment Studios’ Funny You Should Ask slipped 20% to a 0.4.
Disney’s internet video strip RightThisMinute motored ahead 17% to a 0.7.
Warner Bros.’ off-network sitcom leader The Big Bang Theory eroded 8% to a new series-low 2.3. Disney’s Last Man Standing stumbled 6% to a 1.7. Disney’s Modern Family, SPT’s The Goldbergs and Warner Bros.’ Two and a Half Men maintained a 1.1, 1.0 and 1.0, respectively. Disney’s Family Guy gained 13% to a 0.9. SPT’s Seinfeld shrank 11% to a 0.8. Disney’s Black-ish, Warner Bros.’ Mike & Molly and Debmar-Mercury’s newcomer Schitt’s Creek all were stable at a 0.7.
