Syndie Ratings: Mag Shows Score, Talk Takes A Dive

TV syndicators' entertainment magazine shows continue to score well this season--all thanks to the ongoing saga of Britney Spears.

CBS Television Distribution category leader "The Insider" jumped 9% to a 2.5 household rating. Sister show and category leader "Entertainment Tonight" improved to a 4.8--its highest numbers since June.

NBC Universal's "Access Hollywood" rose 4% to a 2.4 rating. Rookie Warner Bros. show "TMZ"--still the leader of all new shows--picked up 6% to a 2.0 rating.

Where the Monday to Friday entertainment magazine shows showed nice gains, those shows' weekend runs did even better. CBS Television Distribution's "Entertainment Tonight Weekend" rose 15% to a 2.3; Warner Bros.' "Extra Weekend" grabbed an additional 8% to a 1.4; and NBC Universal's "Access Hollywood Weekend" spiked 18% to a 1.3.

Daytime talk shows, however, took a dive in the other direction.

Industry leader "The Oprah Winfrey Show" was off 2% to a 5.3. Disney-ABC Television Distribution's "Live with Regis and Kelly" dropped 6% to a 2.9; CBS Television Distribution's "Rachael Ray" lost 5% to a 1.8; Warner Bros.' "Ellen" also dropped 5% to a 1.8; and NBCU's "Maury" was flat at 1.8.

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CBS Television Distribution's "Dr. Phil"--second in the talk-show ratings to "Oprah"--was the only talker to gain, drawing closer to "Oprah" with a 2% climb to 4.9.

New off-network show, Twentieth Television's "Family Guy"--which had been tops in that category early into the new season--fell 3% to a 3.6. Warner Bros.' "Two and a Half Men" and CBS Television's "Everybody Loves Raymond" edged into a tie for the lead, with a 3.7.

A couple of new game shows continue to move slowly. Program Partners' "Merv Griffin's Crosswords" was at a 0.8 rating--flat versus a week ago. Twentieth's "Temptation," after having its ratings reprocessed for the past three weeks, barely showed up with a 0.4 number.

Other notable program leaders maintained or improved: CBS Television's "Wheel of Fortune" was unchanged 7.2; "Wheel" game-show partner "Jeopardy" inched 2% up to a 6.0; and CBS' court show "Judge Judy" picked up 2% to a 4.7.

CBS' "CSI: Miami" continues to lead the weekly off-network hour parade, up 6% to a 3.6.

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