Syndies Spectacular as 2022 Starts

Review based on a national syndicated rating report for the week ending January 9, 2022.

A blizzard of syndicated shows matched or exceeded their previous season highs as calendar year 2022 got under way in the early winter session ending January 9.

In daytime, Judge Judy (new season high 5.4 live plus same day national Nielsen, up 10% from the week before) notched its best rating since last May and Drew Barrymore (new season high 0.6, up 20%) had its biggest week since April of 2021.

Talk shows which scored double digit improvement and also equaled their season highs included: leader Dr. Phil (1.9, up 12%), which stormed back into first place in the category; Ellen Degeneres (1.1, up 22%), which ballooned 33% in the advertiser-coveted W25-54 age group and clocked the largest year to year increase of any program in first run; Kelly Clarkson (1.0, up 25%), Tamron Hall (0.7, up 17% in households and up 50% among W25-54) and The Real (0.4, up 33%).

Game shows also played to bigger crowds. For example Jeopardy (6.6, up 18%), Wheel of Fortune (6.0, up 20%) and Family Feud (5.9, up 9%) all booked their best weeks of the season.

Entertainment magazines hitting new season highs included genre leader Entertainment Tonight (2.4, up 20% in households and up 29% among W25-54) and Access Hollywood (0.9, up 13% in households and up 33% in the money demo).

Also worthy of note was courtroom Hot Bench (1.6, up 7%), which tied its season high and ranked as the No. 2 gaveler, behind only long-time leader Judge Judy – which has been No. 1 in its venue for the past 1,320 weeks.