“Jeopardy” ratings soar in first week following host Alex Trebek’s death

Review based on a national syndicated rating report for the week ending November 15, 2020.

Viewers flocked to Jeopardy (new season high 6.0 live plus same day national Nielsen rating, up 22% from the week before) sending the long-running game show to the very top of the syndication chart (for the first time since early June) in the first week after the death of its beloved host Alex Trebek on November 8.

The session ending November 15 also featured a number of other syndication favorites surging to their best ratings of the season.

For example, in the talk show race Live with Kelly and Ryan (new season high 2.0, up 11%) tied Dr. Phil (2.0, up 18%) at No. 1.

Ellen DeGeneres (1.2, unchanged) held on to third place while sophomore stars Kelly Clarkson (1.0, up 11%) and Tamron Hall (0.9, up 29%) moved up to equal their season highs. “Hall,” which has already been renewed for year three, scored the biggest percentage increase of any talk show in the household ratings and surged 33% in the key W25-54 demo.

Wendy Williams (new season high 1.0, up 11%) also joined the party with an up week.

Among newsmagazines Entertainment Tonight (new season high 2.5, up 19%) and Inside Edition (new season high 2.5, up 14%) led. Also scoring its best rating of the season was Access Hollywood (1.1, up 22%), which clocked the top tier’s largest increase in households and shot up 20% in the target W25-54 age group.

Syndication’s highest rated show of the season Judge Judy (5.9, up 9%) matched its strongest Nielsens of the current TV year and came within a tenth of a point of equaling Jeopardy’s 6.0.  Rising courtroom star Hot Bench (1.7, up 6%) tied its season high and ranked as the No. 2 gaveler, behind only “Judy.”