“Dr Phil” Tops Talk with Fourth Straight Week of Rising Ratings

Although preemptions due to news of the coronavirus prevented most shows from improving in the session ending May 24, Dr Phil (nine-week high 2.3 live plus same day national Nielsen rating, up 5% from the week before) appeared to have immunity.

Syndication’s highest-rated doctor topped the talk shows for a second straight week, hitting its best numbers since the frame ending March 22.  Of note “Phil” has led the talkers 183 times in the last 194 weeks, and the show has risen four weeks in a row, growing 28% over that span.

Live with Kelly and Ryan (2.0, steady) made it close, finishing a strong second.  Ellen DeGeneres (1.5, unchanged) remained at its season low for a second week.

Talk newcomer Kelly Clarkson (1.1, up 10%) leapt 25% in the coveted W25-54 age group and led the rookies, despite being in repeats for part of the week and losing its primary run in some markets due to pandemic news preemptions.

The highest rated court show — even with five days of reruns — for the 1,235^th week in a row wasJudge Judy (5.9, steady).  “Judy” also reigned as syndication’s number one program in the household ratings season to date.

Jerry Springer’s Judge Jerry (four-week high 0.9, up 13%) overruled and out-rated all freshman gavelers despite airing only repeats.

Access Hollywood (1.3, steady), Extra (0.9, steady) and Daily Mail TV (0.8, steady) were the only magazines in the top six able to hang tough and avoid declines amid eight consecutive weeks of plunging PUT levels due to longer periods of daylight, warmer weather and more cities reopening.