Few Syndies Peak, CBS' 'Oprah,' 'ET' Category Leaders

CBS' Entertainment Tonight

After nearly two months of the new broadcast season, only a handful of top syndication shows are showing gains in the broadest viewing measure versus a year ago.

CBS Television Distribution's "The Oprah Winfrey Show" has seen some of the biggest gains among total viewers, gross audience area (GAA) data. GAA data includes second- and third-syndication airings.

"Oprah" is now up 11%, to Nielsen 7.2 million average viewers between Sept. 18 and Nov. 1 of this year, versus 6.5 million in a similar time period of a year ago. The 18-49 "Oprah" viewership has grown -- to 2.47 million from 2.30 million.

Overall, syndication's top show -- CBS' "Wheel of Fortune" -- also landed with more at 10.56 million, from 10.52 million.

Top magazine show CBS' "Entertainment Tonight" has also climbed, up 5% to 6.27 million from 5.95 million. Off-network drama "CSI: New York", also from CBS, is higher: 5.29 million from 5.26 million viewers.

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But many of syndication's other heavy hitters slipped.

Top Monday to Friday off-network sitcom Warner Bros' "Two and a Half Men" dropped to 9.2 million viewers from 9.8 million. Twentieth Television's "Family Guy" went down as well, to 5.8 million viewers from 6.6 million.

Top judge show CBS' "Judge Judy" went south a bit -- 8.98 million from 9.05 million. "Wheel of Fortune" companion game show "Jeopardy" was 5% lower -- to 8.4 million from 8.8 million.

Two more steeply declining shows came from older off-network sitcoms: Sony Pictures Television's "Seinfeld" lost 21%, down to 4.4 million viewers. Warner Bros.' "The George Lopez Show" also went south 21%, to 4.7 million viewers.

NBC Universal's "The Office," a new off-network entry, took in an average 4.8 million viewers for its first two months in syndication.

The top 18-49 viewing shows so far this year on average are: "Two and a Half Men" (3.9 million); "Family Guy" (3.6 million); "The Office" (3.2 million); "Judge Judy" (2.7 million); and "Seinfeld" (2.6 million).

A year ago, it was "Two and a Half Men" (4.5 million); "Family Guy" (3.9 million); "Seinfeld" (3.2 million); CBS' "King of Queens" (2.70 million); and CBS' "Everyone Loves Raymond" (2.65 million).

The top 25-54 viewing shows this year are: "Two and a Half Men" (4.5 million); "Judge Judy" (3.3 million); "Family Guy" (3.0 million); "Oprah Winfrey" (3.0 million); and "Wheel of Fortune" (2.8 million).

A year ago: "Two and a Half Men" (4.9 million); "Judge Judy" (3.3 million); "Seinfeld" (3.2 million); "Family Guy" (3.2 million); and "Oprah Winfrey" (2.7 million).

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