Syndication Ratings: Talk Shows, Game Shows Finish Season Strong

First-Run Strips Gear Up for Sept. 10 Season Premieres

By Paige Albiniak -- Broadcasting & Cable, 9/5/2007

The 2006-07 syndication season came to a close in the week ending Aug. 26, with talk and game shows hitting a high note while most first-run strips prepared for their Sept. 10 season premieres.

In talk, the week’s big winner was NBC Universal’s The Martha Stewart Show, which will also begin running in primetime on Scripps’ Fine Living Sept. 10. The show gained 11% to a 1.0 household rating, according to Nielsen Media Research. That’s thanks in part to a 1.2 rating after Donny Osmond appeared Aug. 21.

Warner Bros.’ Ellen also had a good showing, jumping 7% to a 1.6. Ellen kicked off her fifth season Tuesday with an appearance by Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.). That show, which aired from New York, averaged a 2.5 rating/7 share in 55 metered markets. That’s up 19% from Ellen’s September 2006 launch, at a 2.1/6, and up 39% from her 1.8/6 average lead-in.

The third-largest gain in talk went to NBC Universal’s Maury, which jumped 5% to a 2.1.

Among the top three, CBS’ Oprah was flat at a 4.4; CBS’ Dr. Phil was down 5% to a 3.5; and Disney-ABC’s Live with Regis and Kelly dropped 10% to a 2.6 with a week of “repackaged” episodes.

While Oprah doesn’t officially premiere until Monday, Sept. 10, the show gave audiences a fresh episode Tuesday, Sept. 4, hosting former President Bill Clinton, who was promoting his new book, Giving. The episode averaged a 3.9/10 for all runs, up 5% over its 3.7/10 year-ago time period average.

Finally, Twentieth’s The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet is building nicely before its national launch Sept. 10. The show averaged a 1.4/5, even with the prior week in its 34 metered markets, and it won its time period for the week in both Kansas City, Mo., and Birmingham, Ala.

Game shows also held their own. CBS’ Wheel of Fortune tacked on 3% to a 6.8. CBS’ Jeopardy! jumped 12% to a 5.7. Disney-ABC’s Who Wants to Be a Millionaire rose 3% to a 3.0. And Debmar-Mercury’s Family Feud gained 6% to a 1.8.

The entertainment magazines all were up or flat. CBS’ Entertainment Tonight climbed 2% to a 4.3, thanks to a 17% boost to a 4.9 Aug. 20, when the show aired a report on the death of “Queen of Mean” Leona Helmsley. CBS’ Inside Edition was up 7% to a 3.2, while NBC U’s Access Hollywood, CBS’ The Insider and Warner Bros.’ Extra! all were unchanged at 2.3, 2.2 and 1.8, respectively.

None of the top court shows showed growth this week. CBS’ Judge Judy, the leader, was flat at a 4.5. CBS’ Judge Joe Brown also was unchanged at a 2.7. Warner Bros.’ People’s Court and Judge Mathis each fell 4% to a 2.3 and 2.2, respectively. And Twentieth’s Divorce Court and Judge Alex were tied and unchanged at a 1.8 each.

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Thursday August 28, 2003
National Ratings in Syndication: Season to-Date Update
What follows are updated season-to-date household ratings
in syndication. Percent change versus the comparable
year-ago period is in parentheses for all established series.

TALK
Oprah: 5.9 (+4 percent),
Dr. Phil: 4.7,
Live With Regis and Kelly: 3.5 (-3),
Maury: 3.4 (+3),
Jerry Springer: 2.8 (-7),
Montel: 2.5 (-4),
Jenny Jones: 1.8 (-10),
Ricki: 1.7 (-11),
John Edward: 1.6 (-32),
John Walsh: 1.4,
Good Day Live: 1.0,
Caroline Rhea : 0.9,
The Other Half: 0.8 (-27

-Next up:
Ellen DeGeneres and Sharon Osbourne,
both from Warner Bros., and King World's Living it Up!
With Ali and Jack

-Best shot at survival:
Although all three are long shots, based on the
recent panels at the Press Tour, Ellen could be a
sleeper if viewers are looking for a few good laughs.
Make that many good laughs

COURT
Judge Judy: 7.4(-10),
Judge Joe Brown : 4.5 (+5),
Divorce Court: 3.8 (+9),
Texas Justice: 3.0 (+11),
Judge Hatchett: 2.4 (+14),
People's Court: 2.1 (+5),
Judge Mathis: 1.9 (excluded due to being rated differently this season)

No new court next season in a genre that remains
considerably healthy means you can expect more of the same in 2003-04

GAME/RELATIONSHIP
Wheel of Fortune: 8.8 (-2),
Jeopardy: 7.0 (-9),
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: 3.0,
The Hollywood Squares: 2.5 (- 7),
Pyramid: 2.1,
Family Feud: 2.1 (-13),
Blind Date: 2.0 (-5),
ElimiDate: 1.9 (+12),
The Weakest Link: 1.8 (-18),
The 5th Wheel: 1.5 (no change),
Street Smarts: 1.6 (-6),
Change of Heart: 1.2 (-25),
Extreme Dating: 1.0,
Shipmates: 0.9 (-18)

No new game next season in a genre that remains
considerably cluttered means that Wheel and Jeopardy
will continue to reign supreme.

NEWSMAGAZINE/REALITY
Entertainment Tonight: 5.6 (- 5),
Inside Edition: 3.3 (+ 6),
Access Hollywood and Extra: 2.6 (- 4 each),
Celebrity Justice: 1.3,
Life Moments: 0.7

-Next up:
NBCE's Starting Over, an ambitious reality hour that
dares to be different. If you're tired of the same old
same old in daytime, this could be an hour worth watching.

-Looking Ahead:
Entertainment Tonight spin-off The Insider, which
will debut in fall 2004.

OFF-NETWORK SITCOMS
Friends: 8.0 (+3),
Seinfeld: 7.9 (+18),
Everybody Loves Raymond: 6.9 (+11),
Will & Grace and That'70s Show: 4.5 each,
Home Improvement: 4.1 (+116),
King of the Hill: 3.8 (+12),
Frasier: 3.1 (-11),
Dharma & Greg: 2.8,
Drew Carey: 2.2 (-12),
Steve Harvey: 2.1 (+11),
Just Shoot Me: 1.9 (-30),
3rd Rock From the Sun: 1.8 (-18),
The Hughleys: 1.6,
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch: 1.1 (-15),
Cosby: 0.7 (no change),
City Guys: 0.5

-The rich get richer in off-net sitcoms thanks to cable exposure (Home Improvement, in particular).
-On that note, look for the debut of Everybody Loves Raymond on TBS next summer.

FIRST-RUN HOURS
Stargate: SG1: 2.5 (-11),
Mutant X: 2.2 (-12),
Andromeda: 2.1 (-22),
She Spies and Adventure, Inc.: 2.0 each,
Maximum Exposure: 1.7 (-11), BeastMaster: 1.5 (-25),
The Lost World: 1.3 (-24),
The Outer Limits: 1.3 (no change),
Livin' Large: 1.1,
Relic Hunter: 1.1 (-35),
Once A Thief: 0.7,
Starhunter: 0.6

-Although the genre is not what it used to be, because this is a cyclical business don't necessarily count out an eventual comeback.

OFF-NETWORK HOURS
ER: 2.7 (-4),
The Practice: 2.5 (-7),
The X-Files: 2.4 (-17),
World's Wildest Police Videos: 2.1 (-13),
Buffy, the Vampire Slayer: 2.2 (-15),
Profiler: 1.1 (-27)

-- Marc Berman
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Top 50 Syndicated Shows Ranked By Ad Price
(estimated cost of a 30-second national commercial unit among the top syndicated TV programs)
Source: Advertising Age magazine

*unit price of "Seinfeld" is adjusted to represent a five-day-a-week run, for purposes of comparison with similar programming that runs five days a week. Columbia TriStar Advertiser Sales sells "Seinfeld" predominantly on a six-day-a-week basis in syndication. Source: Advertising Age survey. Unit prices based on data from agency and syndication executives. Prices are annualized based on 2001-2002 broadcast season.