“Jeopardy” savant Holzhauer’s streak sends show to four-year high as May sweep begins

Review based on a national syndicated rating report for the week ending April 28.

“Jeopardy” super-contestant James Holzhauer, who won nearly $1.7-million as of May 3 with victories in 22 games – a record topped only by all-time “Jeopardy” champ Ken Jennings – propelled the show to its highest ratings in four years as the May sweep (April 25 – May 22, 2019) got underway.

Although Holzhauer will not compete again until May 20, the session ending April 28 featured Jeopardy (7.5 live plus same day national Nielsen rating, up 12% from the week before) hitting its biggest number since the week ending February 8, 2015.

How impressive was the stratospheric 7.5 rating for “Jeopardy”?

Only one other show on the entire chart was even able to come close to it and broach the rarefied seven rating level: namely the full season’s syndication leader Judge Judy (seven week high 7.0, up 8%).

Dr. Phil (2.7, steady) was the highest rated talk show for the 138^th straight week.

Live with Kelly and Ryan (2.2, down 4%), with Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest just honored as the Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Hosts at the Daytime Emmy Awards, snared second place for the ninth consecutive week over Ellen DeGeneres (1.9, unchanged.)

Others in talk’s big six were Maury (1.4, up 8%), Wendy Williams (1.4, down 7%) and Steve Harvey’s Steve (1.2, steady).

Syndication’s most impressive percentage gainer of the week was rookie Chicago PD (1.1, up 22%), which matched its highest rating yet. Stablemate Dateline (1.3, steady) also scored, finishing first in the true crime genre for the 33^rd week in a row.