Another syndication surprise: game show race ends in triple dead heat

Review based on a national syndicated rating report for the week ending October 7.

Following the previous week’s upset in the game show race, the session ending October 7 featured an even rarer event:  a three-way tie at the top of the category among the usually unstoppable Family Feud (5.9 live plus same day national Nielsen rating, up 2% from the week before); the surprise winner of the prior round, Wheel of Fortune (5.9, unchanged); and Jeopardy (5.9, up 2%).

That said, the three continued to trail syndication’s number one program Judge Judy (6.7), which grew 3% from last year and was the highest-rated show on the Nielsen chart for the 10^th week in a row.

Among the chat-fests Dr. Phil (2.8, down 3%) cruised to its 109^th consecutive first place finish.

Live with Kelly and Ryan (new season high 2.2, up 5%) held the number two spot in the genre and increased its household rating advantage over third place Ellen DeGeneres (2.0, unchanged).

Another strong show was Steve Harvey’s Steve (1.3, up 8%), which broke into the big four in talk for the first time this season, tying veteran Maury (1.3, down 7%).

In magazine action, the hottest strips compared to the preceding session were Daily Mail TV (1.0, up 11%), Access (new season high 1.3, up 8%) and TMZ (1.3, up 8%).  The three scored the category’s largest percentage increases.