The final week of the season, competing against the second week of the Beijing Olympics, saw little change among the syndicated brethren. However, one long-running show saw another big drop to an all-time low for the week ending Aug. 24, according to Nielsen Media Research.
“Live With Regis and Kelly,” which entered the first of two weeks of repeats, saw another drop, stumbling 17% to a new low of 2.0 for the series. This marks the second week in a row where the series scored its lowest mark since Nielsen established its electronic database in 1991. Year-to-year, the series is down 23%.
Few other shows in syndication saw much movement, with most series either even for the week or slightly down.
Standouts included “Oprah,” which grew 5% week-to-week to a 4.1; “Divorce Court,” the only upper-level court show to gain ground, with a 7% hike to a 1.6; and “Wheel of Fortune,” the only game show to improve, with a 2% rise to a 6.1.
(2:40 p.m.: Updated second paragraph to reflect “Live” repeats)