Syndicators were hoping that early results of the November sweeps would provide an indication of things to come as series across the board finished the week ending Nov. 4 on a positive note, according to Nielsen Media Research.
Among the slew of talk and court shows, only one series showed any decline, while several strips hit new season highs. As for weekly fare, the first full weekend of the November book showed growth for the action-hour genre.
King World Productions’ “The Oprah Winfrey Show” continued to lead the pack of talk shows, entering the sweeps period with a 5.7-it was, however, the only series down from the previous week, dropping 11 percent to hit a season low. The rest of the talk entries blossomed as some of the new blood in this year’s race began to show promise after a slow start.
Six talk shows posted increases for the period, with Studios USA Domestic Television’s “Sally Jessy Raphael” up 6 percent to a 1.7, while NBC Enterprises rookie “The Other Half” grew 9 percent to a 1.2-season highs for both shows. Meanwhile, Buena Vista Television’s “Live With Regis and Kelly” took second place in the genre with a 5 percent jump to a 4.1, while Studios USA’s “Maury” took the bronze with a 15 percent rise to a 3.0.
Telepictures Distribution’s “Rosie O’Donnell” was up 8 percent to take fifth place with a 2.6, while King World’s rookie “The Ananda Lewis Show” benefited from a 20 percent gain to a 1.2.
None of the court shows lost any ground during the period, as Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution’s tandem “Judge Mathis” and “People’s Court” were both up by double-digit percentages for ratings of 2.2 and 2.0 respectively. Also earning a double-digit prize was Twentieth Television’s “Power of Attorney” with an 11 percent gain to a 2.0. Paramount Domestic Television’s “Judge Judy” continued to be the leader, hitting a 5.7, a rise of 6 percent over the previous week.
It was a tie for the lead among weekly hours as “Entertainment Tonight’s” weekend edition found itself even with Tribune Entertainment’s action hit “Andromeda” at a 3.3. “Andromeda” was up 18 percent and also took first-place honors among action hours in the key 18 to 49 demographic with a 2.3 overall and a 2.4 among males in that category.