ET, Access, Extra ignite lazy late summer week

Review based on a national syndicated rating report for the week ending August 25.

Viewers flocked to the big entertainment magazines in droves despite a spate of NFL football preemptions in the late season session ending August 25.

Although PUT (People Using Television) levels fell to their lowest of the year, they didn’t prevent Entertainment Tonight (2.4 live plus same day national Nielsen, up 4% from the week before), Access (1.1, up 10%) and Extra (nine-week high 1.0, up 11%) from scoring eye-catching rating increases. In addition, “Access” and “Extra” both vaulted 25% in the advertiser coveted W25-54 demo.

Already renewed sophomore Daily Mail TV (up 13% annually) also lit up the chart, clocking the largest year-to-year improvement among all magazines.

2018-19 season ratings champion Judge Judy (four-week high 6.1, up 3% from the week before) continued to show other programs no mercy, topping the syndication leader-board for the sixth time in seven weeks even though it was completely in reruns. Sister court show Hot Bench (nine-week high 2.1, up 5%) also jumped ahead.

In talk show action Dr. Phil (2.0, steady) was in repeats on all five days but dominated the category for a monumental 155 consecutive weeks.

A potential future talker, Jerry O’Connell’s Jerry O’, held steady at a blended-with-Wendy Williams 0.9 rating in the second week of a three week try-out. “Jerry O” aired on the Fox O&Os in “Wendy” time periods.