The national ratings review 10/4/05

[NASHMAN]

Up-and-Down Week for New Talkers


By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 10/4/2005 3:28:00 PM


The tale of the national syndicated ratings for the week ending Sept. 25 was a sharp gain for Tyra and a drop for Martha in the second week for both new talk shows.

Tyra Banks was up 18% to a 1.3 in households compared to the week before. Tyra was also up 25% in women 18-49 to a 1.0, and up 33% to a 1.2 in women 18-34.

Martha was down 15% from its premiere week to a 1.7. In women 25-54, Martha was down 18% to a 0.9, and down 11% among women 18-49 to a 0.8.

Comparing the two new talkers in key demos, they are tied in woman 25-54, Martha's key demo, at a 0.9. Tyra is ahead in women 18-49, 1.0-0.8, and ahead among women 18-34, 1.2-0.5, Tyra's target demo.

Judge Alex, the third new first-run strip to debut this season, was down 5% from its premiere to a 2.0 and flat or down in key female demos.

Among returning first-run strips, coverage of the Emmy awards helped power the top three entertainment news magazines to their best ratings in at least three months.

The perpetual No. 1 magazine, ET, had its best week since the May sweep, up 11% from the week before to a 4.9, and up 2% over last year, also an Emmy week.

The Insider was up 4% to a 2.6, its best rating in 15 weeks, up 13% over last year, the biggest improvement of any mag.

Access Hollywood was up 14% to a 2.4, its best rating since the week ending May 29, but off 4% from last year.

Extra was unchanged at a 2.2, down 4% from last year.

Inside Edition, the No. 2 mag, was up 6% from the week before to a 3.3, but down 3% from last year.

In returning talk, Oprah launched her 20th season with a 7.0, up 9% from the week before but down 4% from last year at this time.

Dr. Phil was up 6% to a 5.3; Live with Regis & Kelly was up 3% to a 3.3; Maury was unchanged at a 2.7; and Ellen was also unchanged--at a 2.2--but recorded the largest year-to-year gain of any talker, up 22%.

In the off-net action, both My Wife and Kids and Bernie Mac were up 5% to a 2.1 in their second week of national syndication. Sex and the City premiered with a 2.0 and South Park debuted at a 1.4.

On the weekend, four new-to-syndication dramas debuted: Alias premiered at a 2.5, while Smallville and Stargate: Atlantis each opened at 1.7, while Star Trek: Enterprise landed at a 1.2 in what, at the moment, would be the last syndicated debut for that storied franchise.