Rookies rally in final week before November sweep

Review based on a national syndicated rating report for the week ending October 21.

The freshmen shows captured the most attention in the last full week before the November sweep, the session ending October 21.

For the fifth straight frame Face The Truth (0.8 live plus same day national Nielsen, up 14% from the week before) was the season’s highest ranked first-run newcomer, matching its biggest rating to date and surging 25% in the key W25-54 demo. Also lively was newcomer Caught in Providence (new season high 0.6, up 20%).

On the magazine rack, notables included: Access (1.3, up 8%), which equaled its season high and beat TMZ (1.2, unchanged) for the first time this season; and Extra (1.1, up 10%), which clocked the largest percentage gain in the category and matched its season high, despite being preempted in more than 30 markets – due mainly to Thursday Night Football.

Police procedural Chicago P.D. (new season high 0.9, up 13%) was another double digit mover in its fourth week as a strip in off-net syndication.

Leading all shows in syndication for the 12^th consecutive stanza Judge Judy (6.9, up 1%), lit up the Nielsen chart with its highest rating in four weeks and grew 3% from last year.

Turning to the talkers, Dr. Phil (2.8, steady) extended its winning streak in the genre to 111^th weeks and was renewed out to 2023.

Live with Kelly and Ryan (2.1, steady) snagged second place ahead of Ellen DeGeneres (2.0, unchanged), which was next in line.

Three shows battled to a fourth place tie in talk. Steve Harvey’s Steve (1.3) jumped up from fifth in the rankings the week before while hanging tough at its season high. Joining “Steve” were Wendy Williams (1.3, unchanged) and Maury (1.3, down 7%).