Syndication Ratings: As Sweep Starts, e Real, Wendy Williams, Dish Nation Hit Series Highs

This year's rookie class showed some signs of life as Warner Bros.' The Real hit a series-high 1.3 live plus same day household rating, an 8% gain for the week ended Feb. 8, the first full week of the February sweep. The Real also added 10% among daytime's key demographic of women 25-54 to a series high 1.1 to lead the field.

CBS Television Distribution's Hot Bench, Debmar-Mercury's Celebrity Name Game and NBCUniversal's Meredith Vieira all were steady at a 1.8, 1.4 and 1.2, respectively, in households.

In the demo, Hot Bench came in second, surging 25% to a new series high 1.0, while Celebrity Name Game was flat at a 0.8 and Meredith Vieira jumped 17% to a 0.7 to match its series high. Trifecta's Judge Faith remained at a 0.8 in households and a 0.4 in the demo.

All of this year's freshmen first-run shows are slated to return for season two.

The veteran talkers were solid. CTD's season-to-date talk leader Dr. Phil added 3% to a 3.7, that show's second-highest rating of the season and the show's best since the November sweep. Phil also led among daytime's key demographic of women 25-54 with a 1.7. Disney-ABC's Live with Kelly and Michael matched its season high with a 6% spike to a 3.3. In third place, Warner Bros.' Ellen DeGeneres dipped 3% to a 2.9.

NBCU's Steve Harvey remained at its season high 2.1 for a third consecutive week to finish in a tie with NBCU's Maury, which grew 5% to a 2.1, also matching its season high.

In sixth place, Debmar-Mercury's Wendy Williams, in its sixth season, rebounded 12% for the week and year to an all-time high 1.9.

Sony Pictures Television's Dr. Oz dipped 6% from a season high in the prior week to a 1.5, tying CTD's steady Rachael Ray and NBCU's Steve Wilkos, which added 7%. NBCU's Jerry Springer grew 8% to a 1.4 in households.

CTD's The Doctors remained at a 1.1, tying SPT's Queen Latifah, which will end its run late next month, but grew 22% for the week. Meredith's The Better Show, which will fade to black at the end of this TV season, gained 100% from a 0.1 to a 0.2.

Elsewhere in daytime, CTD's Judge Judy easily ruled the court shows with a 3% gain to a 7.3.

Warner Bros.' People's Court picked up 6% to a 1.9. Twentieth's Divorce Court, Warner Bros.' Judge Mathis and MGM's sophomore Paternity Court all were flat at a 1.6, 1.5 and 1.3, respectively.

Moving to access, the top entertainment magazines were strong following the controversy around NBC anchor Brian Williams, in which he was forced to apologize for a story he's told for years about a helicopter mission to Iraq, as well as the story that Whitney Houston's daughter, Bobbi Kristina, had been found unconscious in a bathtub three years after her mother's death.

CTDs Entertainment Tonight set the pace, with a 9% increase to a 3.8. That marked the show's second-best performance of the season and biggest score in four weeks. Warner Bros.' TMZ jumped 10% to a new season high 2.3. NBCU's Access Hollywood equalled its season high with an 11% surge to a 2.0. Warner Bros.' Extra clocked a new season high 1.8, improving 20%, the strongest gain of any magazine.

CTD's Inside Edition, which is not strictly an entertainment magazine, and CTD's The Insider both held steady at a 3.3 and a 1.3, respectively.

Twentieth's Dish Nation hit a new series high 1.2, while Trifecta's OK! TV was unchanged at a 0.3.

CTD's Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! led the games, with each show up 3% for the week and year to a 7.8 and 7.5, respectively. Debmar-Mercury's Family Feud was off 6% to a 6.8, but was still up 13% from last year at this time. Disney-ABC's Who Wants to be a Millionaire climbed 6% for the week to a 1.9, although that was down 21% from last year.

Elsewhere, MGM's video variety show RightThisMinute was unchanged at a 1.5.

Among the off-net sitcoms, Warner Bros.' The Big Bang Theory slipped 3% to a 6.6. Twentieth's Modern Family fell 7% to a 3.8. Warner Bros.' Two and a Half Men remained at a 3.2. Twentieth's Family Guy added 4% to a 2.6. Warner Bros.' Rookie Mike & Molly eased 4% to a 2.5. Twentieth's How I Met Your Mother sagged 15% to a 2.3, tying SPT's Seinfeld, which improved 5%. Twentieth's The Cleveland Show and King of the Hill each shot up 6% to a 1.9 and 1.7, respectively, while Warner Bros.' The Middle fell 25% to a 1.5.

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