Syndie 'Friends' tops 'Seinfeld'
Rookie passes vet in households
Warner Bros.' "Friends" earned a 6.7 national Nielsen household rating, according to Nielsen's latest national syndie ratings report, compared with "Seinfeld's" 6.5.
"Friends," in its rookie off-net season, has already surpassed three-year syndie vet "Seinfeld" in the demographic derby, but its households win was a first, making "Friends" the third-highest-rated strip in syndication for the week, behind perennial chart-toppers "Wheel of Fortune" (11.3) and "Jeopardy!" (9.4).
Columbia TriStar's "Seinfeld" is still in the lead for the 1998-99 season thus far with a 6.5 household average, which marks a 13% decline from the same period last year. "Friends" clocked in with a 6.1 season-to-date household average.
Buena Vista TV's "Home Improvement," which claimed the No. 1 spot this time last year, tied with Paramount's "Frasier" for third place at a 5.5. "Home Improvement" was down 33% over the same period last year, while "Frasier was up 10% in its sophomore off-net season.
Twentieth TV's "The Simpsons" was down 32% over last year to a 3.9. Col TriStar's "Mad About You" took a 23% year-to-year hit with an 2.7 average. This season's other off-net rookies were dwarfed by the quick rise of "Friends." Par's "Sister, Sister" and Col TriStar's "The Nanny" have averaged a 2.5 so far, while Col TriStar's "NewsRadio" posted a 2.2.
Talkin' about talk
As for the yak pack, the 1998-99 season is shaping up to be a tight race between Jerry Springer and Oprah Winfrey for the No. 1 spot. However, for the season thus far, Col TriStar's "Ricki Lake" is the only talker to eke out a year-to-year gain.
Studios USA's "Jerry Springer Show" has the lead at year's end with a 6.5 household average, a cool 48% increase over its showing over the same period last year. King World's "Oprah Winfrey" is right behind at a 6.3, down 13% from last year.
Par's "Montel Williams" claims sole possession of third place with a 3.7, despite a 10% year-to-year drop. "Montel" was tied for fifth place among yakkers at the same point last season. Studios USA's "Sally Jessy Raphael" was off 14% to a 3.6.
'Rosie' vs. 'Live'
Warner Bros.' "Rosie O'Donnell," which claimed second place this time last year, and Buena Vista TV's "Live With Regis & Kathie Lee" were tied at a 3.5. "Rosie" is down 26% from last year, while "Live" has eased 15%. Col TriStar's "Ricki Lake" upticked 3% to a 3.1, up two notches from last year's ninth-place showing.
Maury Povich, in the first season of a new deal with Studios USA, was down 3%, compared with his last year in the Par syndie fold, to a 3.0. Warner Bros.' "Jenny Jones" took a 24% dive to a 2.9.
The season-to-date perf of the frosh yakkers are nothing to write home about.
King World's "The Roseanne Show" is stuck at a 1.8, while Col TriStar's "Donny & Marie" and Par's "Howie Mandel" are tied at a 1.4.
Twentieth TV's "Forgive or Forget," which bowed last June at a 1.2, has nudged the needle enough to squeak out a 1.6 for the season thus far.
