Syndication Ratings: Live Overtakes Top Talk Slow

Disney-ABC's Live with Kelly and Michael, enjoying its highest-rated season in seven years, overtook CBS Televisision Distributions Dr. Phil to become the top talker in the week ended June 15. Live improved 4% from the prior week and 13% from last year at this time to a first-place 2.7 live plus same day household rating, according to Nielsen Media Research. Live also was up 8% from the previous session to a first-place 1.4 in the key women 25-54 demographic.

Meanwhile, Dr. Phil was in reruns for the entire week, slipping 11% to a 2.5, although the show was still up 4% from last year at this time. Warner Bros.' Ellen, in third place, dropped to a new season low for the second week in a row after airing a week of repeats. Ellen sank to a 2.1 to lose 5% for the week and 13% from last year. NBCU's Maury rose 6% to a 1.9 with two originals and three repeats, while SPT's Dr. Oz rounded out the top five, holding steady at a 1.7 with an all rerun week.

NBCU's Steve Harvey, which was named outstanding informational game show at the Daytime Emmys, dipped 6% to a 1.5, tying Debmar-Mercury's Wendy Williams, which improved 7% for the week and 15% for the year with a full week of original episodes. Disney-ABC's already canceled Katie posted a 1.3 in all originals, down 7% from the prior week and down 19% from last year. NBCU's Steve Wilkos remained at a 1.3. CTD's Rachael Ray receded 8% to a 1.1 with a mix of repeats and originals, tying NBCU's Jerry Springer which stayed at a 1.1. CTD's The Doctors remained at a 1.0, while NBCU's soon-to-depart Trisha tumbled 20% to a new season low of 0.4, and Meredith'sThe Better Show was unchanged at a 0.2.

Among the rookies, SPT's Queen Latifah was in repeats on four of the five days but held steady at a 1.0. Warner Bros.' Bethenny, which has been cancelled, was flat at a 0.6, tying CTD's The Test, which also has been cancelled, but recovered 20% for the week. In late night, reruns of CTD's Arsenio Hall, which has ceased production, climbed 20% to a 0.6.

Magazines were the lively genre, with five of the six top shows up for the week.

CBS Television Distribution's leader Entertainment Tonight, which tied Warner Bros.' Extra to win the first ever Daytime Emmy for outstanding entertainment news program, had its best week since late April, climbing 10% from the previous session to a 3.3.

CTD's Inside Edition added 8% to a 2.8. Warner Bros.' TMZ held steady at a 1.8. NBCUniversal's Access Hollywood gained 7% to a 1.5, tying Extra, which added 15%, the biggest week-to-week improvement of any magazine and that show's strongest showing in four weeks. Extra also gained 7% when compared to last year. CTD's The Insider rose 8% to a 1.3.

Further down, MGM's RightThisMinute and Twentieth's Dish Nation, as well as Trifecta's canceled America Now and newcomer OK! TV all were unchanged at a 1.0, 1.0, 0.3 and 0.3, respectively. Dish Nation has remained at the 1.0 mark for seven straight weeks, while America Now has been flat for four weeks in a row and OK! TV has been stalled for 11 consecutive frames.

Game shows continued to be soft with CTD's Wheel of Fortune skidding 2% from the prior week to a new season-low 6.0, but still beating CTD's Jeopardy!, this year's outstanding game show, which dropped 5% to a 5.8, that show's lowest rating since Christmas. In the previous session, Wheel and Jeopardy! had been tied, while Jeopardy! defeated Wheel two weeks before that for the first time in ten years.

Debmar-Mercury's Family Feud fell 2% to a 4.6. Disney-ABC's Who Wants to be a Millionaire was the only game show to gain, rebounding 11% from its worst week of the season to land at a still last-place 2.0.

The top-rated program on the overall chart was CTD's Judge Judy, which held steady for the week at a 7.1, growing 8% from last year at this time and opening up its biggest lead ever over all other syndicated shows. This marks the 40th time in the past 43 weeks that Judy has led syndication. Warner Bros.' People's Court, this year's outstanding court show, was a distant second, recovering 12% to a 1.9. Twentieth's Divorce Court and Warner Bros.' Judge Mathis both were up 8% to a 1.4. Twentieth's already canceled Judge Alex was unchanged at a 1.3, while MGM's freshman Paternity Court trailed the field at a 1.0 but climbed 11% for the week.

In off-net syndication, Warner Bros.' leader The Big Bang Theory weakened 25% to a 5.7. Twentieth's newcomer Modern Family faded 10% to a new season-low 3.7.Warner Bros.' Two and a Half Men moved down 3% to a 3.2. Twentieth's Family Guy gave back 10% to a 2.6. Twentieth's How I Met Your Mother climbed 5% to a 2.0. SPT's Seinfeld stayed at a 1.9, tying Twentieth's The Cleveland Show, which climbed 6% to a 1.9. Warner Bros.' Friends rallied 13% to a 1.8. Warner Bros.' freshman The Middle and Twentieth's King of the Hill were flat at a 1.6.

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