The big got bigger while the rest of the field held steady in syndication ratings for the week of Oct. 6-12.
CBS Television Distribution’s “Judge Judy,” “Oprah” and “Dr. Phil” all saw week-to-week increases, pushing their leads over the rest of their respective genres further during the week.
Some distraction during the week that might have affected viewership included Yom Kippur, a midday speech from President Bush and the second presidential debate, which may have postponed airings of shows in certain markets.
“Judy” increased by 5% from the previous week to a 4.3 household rating. “Judy’s” closest competitor, CBS’ “Judge Joe Brown,” dipped by 4% to a 2.2 rating.
Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution’s “People’s Court” (2.0), Twentieth Television’s “Judge Alex” (1.6) and “Divorce Court” (1.4) and Sony Pictures Television’s “Judge David Young” (0.8) all were flat.
WB’s “Judge Mathis” (1.6) dipped 6%, while Twentieth’s “Cristina’s Court” (1.0) declined by 9%.
In talk shows, “Oprah” (5.3) and “Dr. Phil” (3.2) gained 6% and 3%, respectively. The rest of the genre, save for Warner Bros.’ “Ellen” (1.9) and Twentieth’s “The Morning Show With Mike and Juliet” (0.8), stayed the same.
“Ellen” dipped by 5%, while “Morning” dropped 11%.
Game shows enjoyed an upswing, with CBS’ “Wheel of Fortune” (6.7, up 3%), “Jeopardy!” (5.8, up 4%), Disney-ABC’s “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” (2.5, 4%) and Twentieth’s “Family Feud” (1.5, up 7%) all gained ground from the previous week.
For magazines, CBS’ “Entertainment Tonight” (4.2) and “Inside Edition” (2.7) held steady, while NBC Universal Television Distribution’s “Access Hollywood” (1.9) declined by 5%.
CBS’ “The Insider” (1.8) also dipped by 5%, while WB’s “TMZ” (1.8) dropped by 10%. WB’s “Extra” (1.6) was flat.
As for the rookie shows, NBCU’s “Deal or No Deal” continues to lead the group, up 6% to a 1.7, tying its highest weekly showing so far.
CBS’ “The Doctors” (1.3), Sony’s “Judge Karen” (1.0), WB’s “The Bonnie Hunt Show” (0.8) and Program Partner’s “Family Court With Judge Penny” (0.6) remained the same.
Debmar-Mercury’s “Trivial Pursuit: America Plays” improved by a tenth of a ratings point to a 0.6.