Syndies Retain Post-Olympic Run-Ups

Review based on a national syndicated rating report for the week ending March 6, 2022.

Shrugging off preemptions for the State of the Union Address, syndicated shows preserved most of their sharp post-Olympic gains in the session ending March 6.

Among the closely watched talk shows Dr. Phil (1.7 live plus same day national Nielsen rating, steady with the week before) became the clear leader, breaking a tie with Live with Kelly and Ryan (1.6, down 6%).

Kelly Clarkson (up 33% among W25-54 and 0.9 in households) and Ellen DeGeneres (0.9) rounded out the top tier, with both keeping 100% of their prior week’s rating increases. Much further back in the pack were newcomers Nick Cannon (0.4, unchanged) and The Good Dish (0.4, unchanged) which will both exit syndication after only one season.

Judge Judy (4.6, down 4%) dipped slightly but remained far in front of the gavelers. Hot Bench (1.5, steady) was the second highest courtroom with People’s Court (0.7, down 22%) third. Several shows behind that, in last place among the veteran court strips, Jerry Springer’s Judge Jerry (0.4, unchanged) was canceled after three seasons.

Entertainment Tonight (2.1, steady) headed the day and date entertainment magazines with Access Hollywood (0.8, steady) and Extra (0.6, steady) all holding their ground. However, TMZ (0.7, down 13%) weakened.

The high-flying game shows all lost altitude. Jeopardy (5.7, down 3%) set the pace, followed by Family Feud (5.5, down 4%) and Wheel of Fortune (5.3, down 5%). After that, rookie You Bet Your Life (0.7, down 13%) fell into a tie with 25 Words or Less (0.7, unchanged).