Syndication Ratings: NBCUs Access Improves in Week of Mostly Declines

Ratings for syndicated shows remained depressed in the week ended Aug. 11, with ratings becoming additionally challenged due to preemptions for President Trump's Aug. 5 press conference on the mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, that took place over the prior weekend.

In access, programs also were hammered by preemptions for NFL pre-season football on Aug. 8. Among magazines, only NBCUniversal's Access, soon to return to original name Access Hollywood, grew 10% to a 1.1 live plus same day national household rating, according to Nielsen Media Research.

In addition, Access was the only magazine to move ahead compared to the same week last year, improving 10%. CBS Television Distribution's Inside Edition led the group with an unchanged 2.5, followed by sister show Entertainment Tonight, which slipped 4% to a 2.3. Warner Bros.' TMZ remained at a 1.1, tying Access.

Warner Bros.' Extra, soon to relaunch as Extra Extra starring Billy Bush, held steady at a 0.9. CTD's DailyMailTV aired repackaged episodes all week and eased 11% to a 0.8. Twentieth's soon-to-conclude Page Six TV exposed a 0.5 for the ninth straight week. Trifecta's Celebrity Page posted a 0.2 for the sixth straight week.

In daytime, CTD's Judge Judy held its ground at a 5.8 to lead all of court and syndication in the household ratings for the fourth time in five weeks, despite being in reruns on all five days. Judy also was blacked out on Aug. 5 and 6 on CBS owned stations carried by DirecTV, DirecTV Now and AT&T U-Verse in 14 markets.

The rest of court was on par with the prior week. CTD's Hot Bench, in repeats on three of the five days, Warner Bros.' People's Court, Warner Bros.' Judge Mathis, Twentieth's Divorce Court and Debmar-Mercury's renewed rookie Caught in Providence all remained at a 1.9, 1.3, 0.9, 0.6 and 0.5, respectively.

CTD's top talker Dr. Phil extended its household winning streak to 153 weeks with five ties, although it dipped 5% to a 2.0 with an 11th week of encore episodes.

Disney's Live with Kelly and Ryan kept it close, holding steady at a 1.9 and seizing second place for the 24th consecutive week. Among daytime's key demographic of women 25-54, Live moved into first place at a 0.8, with Dr. Phil in second place at a 0.7.

Warner Bros.' Ellen DeGeneres declined 7% to a 1.3. NBCU's Maury and Steve Wilkos each were flat at a 1.2 and 1.0, respectively. Debmar-Mercury's Wendy Williams, in repeats and replaced in Fox-owned markets by the three-week test of Jerry O, declined 25% to a 0.9, tying NBCU's about-to-exit Steve, which fell 10%, and CTD's Rachael Ray, which was unchanged.

Sony Pictures Television's Dr. Oz dropped 11% to a 0.8, matching its series low. CTD's rookie talker Face the Truth, which is about to conclude, held firm at a 0.6 Warner Bros.' The Real remained at a 0.5 for the fifth straight week. CTD's The Doctors delivered a series-low 0.4 for the second straight week, tying NBCU's Jerry Springer, which moved up 33%. Disney's Pickler & Ben, also wrapping its run, banged out a 0.3 for the fifth straight week.

Among game shows, Debmar-Mercury's Family Feud was on top for the ninth straight week with a steady 5.7. CTD's Wheel of Fortune skidded 2% to a 4.9. CTD's Jeopardy! inched up 2% from its season low to a 4.8. Disney's Who Wants to be a Millionaire, which is getting ready to fold, slid 7% to a 1.4. Entertainment Studios' Funny You Should Ask chimed in with a 0.5 for the 22nd consecutive week.

Week five of the six-week test of comedy game show Punchline, which began July 15, drummed up a 0.3 rating/1 share weighted metered market household average on select Fox stations. That was off 40% from both its lead-ins and August 2018 time periods. Among women 25-54, the show earned a 0.3/2, down 33% from both its lead-ins and year-ago time periods.

Related: Punchline Returning to Fox Stations for Six-Week Test

Jerry OConnell

Also in testing news, the three-week trial, which began August 12, for Jerry O'Connell talker Jerry O, averaged a 1.0 rating/4 share weighted metered market household average for its primary runs, down 17% from its lead-in, which is mostly Good Day, but was unchanged from Aug. 2018 reruns of Wendy Williams.

Among women 25-54, the opening week for Jerry O's primary runs averaged a 0.5/5 share, even with its lead-in but off 17% compared to year-ago Wendy repeats.

On Monday, Aug. 19, Jerry O stayed on pace with its first weeks household average with a 1.0/4, down 23% from its lead-in and even with year-ago time periods.

Related: Jerry O Hopes to Bring Stations Its Brand of Funny

Back in the national ratings, Disney's viral video show RightThis Minute was stable at a 1.2.

NBCU's off-network Dateline continued to lead the true-crime pack, staying at a 1.2 for a third straight week. SPT's off-A&E Live PD Police Patrol was close behind with a steady 1.1, while off-Investigation Discovery's True Crime Files was unchanged at a 0.3.

NBCU's scripted police procedural Chicago PD remained at a 0.8 for the fourth straight week.

Warner Bros.' The Big Bang Theory fizzled 10% to a 3.7. Twentieth's Last Man Standing skidded 5% to a 2.1. Twentieth's Modern Family, Warner Bros.' Two and a Half Men, Twentieth's Family Guy, SPT's The Goldbergs and SPT's Seinfeld all were steady at a 1.6, 1.3, 1.2, 1.2 and 1.0, respectively. Disney's rookie Black-ish backtracked 10% to a new season-low 0.9, tying Warner Bros.' Mike & Molly, which also moved down 10%. Warner Bros.' 2 Broke Girls and Mom both were flat at a 0.8.

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