Syndie Powers Way to Season's End

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Syndication's traditional top dogs generally remained at the head of the pack for the entire 2003-04 syndication season, with powerful performances that held to form for the final week of the season, which ended Aug. 29.

 In access, Paramount's Entertainment Tonight led the mags by a wide margin, averaging a 5.4 for the full season, with a 54% ratings margin over its closest rival, King World's Inside Edition at a 3.5. NBC Universal's Access Hollywood ran third at a 2.8, followed by a 2.5 for Warner Bros.' Extra! Warner Bros.' Celebrity Justice came in last with a 1.2. 
 King World's Wheel of Fortune was the top game at an 8.7, followed by King World's Jeopardy! at a 7.2. Buena Vista's Who Wants to be a Millionaire was in third, averaging a 3.6 in its second season. Millionaire also cracked syndication's top 10 strips at number 10, up from last year's 18th place. Tribune's Family Feud averaged a fourth-place 2.1 and King World's Hollywood Squares ended its run at a 2.0. 
 In the relationship race, NBC Universal's Blind Date was first with a 1.6 average, followed by Warner Bros.' Elimi-date at a 1.4.
Among the off-net sitcoms, Sony's Seinfeld was the winner in a close race with a 5.9. Warner Bros.' Friends averaged a 5.7 and King World's Everybody Loves Raymond a 5.5. Carsey-Werner's That 70s Show held fourth place with a 3.6, followed by Warner Bros.' Will & Grace with a 3.4.
In daytime, King World's Oprah continued to top the talkers with a 6.6. King World's Dr. Phil was a strong second at a 4.9, followed by Buena Vista's Live with Regis & Kelly at a 3.6. NBC Universal's Maury averaged a 3.0 and Paramount's The Montel Williams Show scored a 2.5.
Warner Bros.' The Ellen DeGeneres Show was the number-one rookie of the season, including the last 43 weeks in a row, with a 1.7. The number-two rookie was Warner Bros.' The Sharon Osbourne Show, averaging a 1.2. Osbourne was not renewed.
Paramount's Judge Judy ruled the court shows with a 4.9, while Paramount colleague Judge Joe Brown easily took second with a 3.4. Twentieth's Divorce Court hung on for third with a 2.6, followed by Warner Bros.' People's Court at a 2.3 and Warner Bros.' Judge Greg Mathis at a 2.2.
Paramount's ET Weekend swept the season's weekly hour race with a 3.4. MGM's Stargate SG-1 tied Warner Bros.' rookie West Wing for second with a 2.1.

Paige Albiniak
Paige Albiniak

Contributing editor Paige Albiniak has been covering the business of television for more than 25 years. She is a longtime contributor to Next TV, Broadcasting + Cable and Multichannel News. She concurrently serves as editorial director for The Global Entertainment Marketing Academy of Arts & Sciences (G.E.M.A.). She has written for such publications as TVNewsCheck, The New York Post, Variety, CBS Watch and more. Albiniak was B+C’s Los Angeles bureau chief from September 2002 to 2004, and an associate editor covering Congress and lobbying for the magazine in Washington, D.C., from January 1997 - September 2002.