Barack Obama, Alex Rodriguez and Madonna drove a strong week for newsmagazines for the week ending July 13, as the genre rebounded nicely from a traditionally poor showing from the Fourth of July holiday.

NBC Universal’s “Access Hollywood” saw the biggest leap in the category, bolstered by a three-part interview with Mr. Obama and his family that aired on July 8, 9 and 10. The long-running newsmagazine’s exclusive propped the strip up 25% to a 2.0 rating for the week.

“Obviously the American viewing audience could not get enough of the Obama family together in their very first television interview,” said “Access Hollywood” Executive Producer Rob Silverstein. “The fascination with the Obama children was clearly reflected with our strong ratings.”

AccessHollywood.com also saw a spike, driven primarily by video clips, articles and photos of “Access Hollywood” special correspondent Maria Menounos’ interview with the Obama family. The site saw 387% growth in video streams versus the previous week.

Other newsmagazines, meanwhile, were propped by breaking news of Major League Baseball star Alex Rodriguez’s divorce and rumors of an affair with Madonna, which they have both denied.

CBS Television Distribution’s “Entertainment Tonight” finished atop the genre with a 3.8 score, up 15% from the previous week; it scored a 4.3 on July 7 and 8 when news of the divorce broke.

“Inside Edition” ran second, growing 17% to a 2.7 for the week. “Access” was third, followed by “TMZ” in fourth. “TMZ” was even for the week at a 1.9, a tenth of a point ahead of “The Insider,” which was up 13% to a 1.8. “Extra” rounded out the category with a 1.7, a rise of 21%.

Talk shows also had a strong week, especially among the top-tier series. “Oprah” rose 17% to a 4.2, “Dr. Phil” was up 9% to a 3.7, “Live With Regis and Kelly” grew 12% to a 2.8 and “Maury” jumped 11% to a 2.0. “Ellen” and “Rachael Ray” tied for the next spot, at a 1.7, with “Ellen” up 21% and “Rachael” rising 13%.