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Syndication Ratings: Hot weather warms talk, court strips

Aug 6, 2001  •  Post A Comment

Daytime audiences continued to beat the heat in syndication land as ratings for court and talk shows were almost all up for the week ending July 22.
According to Nielsen Media Research, talk shows led the battle between the two genres with an overall 11 percent increase from the previous week on returning shows. Five of the 10 returning talk shows earned double-digit jumps, with only one strip down for the week.
Buena Vista Television’s “Live With Regis and Kelly” earned a 4.1 rating, up 21 percent from the previous week for the strip’s best performance in 17 weeks. “Live” also topped its showing from last year at this time-when Kathie Lee Gifford was co-host-by 14 percent. In the key female demos, the series was up half a point among women 18 to 49 with a 2.3 and up six-tenths of a point among women 25 to 54 at a 2.7.
King World Productions’ “Oprah Winfrey Show” continued to lead the way with a 5.9 household score, a rise of 4 percent, but was flat in both female demographics. Studios USA Domestic Television’s “Jerry Springer” and “Maury” tied for third, after “Live,” at a 3.6, with both series rising 6 percent in households. However, “Springer” continued to lead in key demos with a 2.1.
Paramount Domestic Television’s “Montel Williams” skyrocketed 26 percent in a pre-emption recovery from the week before with a 2.9 rating in households for fifth place. Among the demos, the strip fell to seventh among females 18 to 49 with a 1.4 and scored a sixth-place tie in women 25 to 54 with a 1.5.
“Ricki Lake” pulled her weight for Columbia TriStar Television Distribution, up 14 percent to a 2.5 in households, edging out both “Jenny Jones” (2.4, up 9 percent), and “Rosie O’Donnell” (2.3, up 10 percent) while topping those shows in the demos as well. “Ricki’s” 1.9 rating in the women 18 to 49 demo earned fifth place with a jump of two tenths of a point, and the show soared a half-point among women 25 to 54.
Studios USA’s “Sally Jessy Raphael” was the lone strip to slip, with a 5 percent decline from the previous week at a 2.1 in households. The show took ninth place in all three categories. “Martha Stewart Living” grew 15 percent to a 1.5 in households to round out the group.
Court shows found five of seven series above the previous week’s numbers. Twentieth Television’s “Power of Attorney” soared 19 percent to retake top first-run rookie strip status in households at a 1.9, the show’s best number in six weeks.
The genre continued to be led by Paramount’s “Judge Judy” despite a 5 percent slip in households week to week at a 5.3. The court veteran was also down in the two female demos. “Judge Joe Brown” took the silver with a 3 percent climb to a 3.3 but dipped in the demographic breakdowns.
“Divorce Court” grew 9 percent for the week in households to average a 2.5 rating, also gaining in the demographics. “Judge Greg Mathis” tied “Power of Attorney” at a 1.9 but kept sole possession of fourth place in the demos.
Columbia TriStar rookie “Judge Hatchett” and Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution’s “The People’s Court” tied the week at 1.8, although “Hatchett” maintained its lead in both female demos.