Talker “Wendy” Ends With Whisper

Wendy Williams (0.6 live plus same day national Nielsen rating, unchanged from the week before) aired its final frame of original episodes after a 13-year run in the session ending June 19. Although down 33% from the same week last year, it was still good enough to tie both a heavily preempted Tamron Hall (0.6, down 14%) and Steve Wilkos (0.6, unchanged) for seventh place on the talk show chart.

Sherri Shepherd, which will premiere her own show in September, was the Wendy guest host all week. Of note, Tamron Hall was honored with the Outstanding Informative Talk Show Host award Friday night at the 49th annual Daytime Emmys.

Heavy hitters Dr. Phil (1.5, steady) and Live with Kelly and Ryan (1.5, steady) remained tied atop the talkers for the second straight week. Kelly Clarkson (0.8, down 11%), which ran into lots of large market preemptions, and the out of production Ellen DeGeneres (0.8, unchanged) finished in a dead heat for third.

The Kelly Clarkson Show was the Daytime Emmy winner as best entertainment talk show and Clarkson won as top entertainment talk show host Friday night. Rachael Ray (0.7, unchanged) and Maury (0.7, unchanged) fought to a draw for fifth place.

Elsewhere Entertainment Tonight (1.9, up 6% from the same week last year), which was awarded the Emmy for Outstanding Entertainment News Series, was the only magazine with an annual increase despite being preempted in No. 1 market New York for a June 13 mayoral debate.