Ellens ratings update for February sweeps.

[moon1]

Feel Good in Tough Times

February sweeps success for 'Ellen'

By Paige Albiniak -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/17/2008

Feel-good stories were few this February sweeps, with almost every syndicated show down year to year. But in turbulent times that include recession, war and political tussles, viewers seem to want an escape.
Maybe that lack of heaviness helped Warner Bros.' Ellen DeGeneres, which did decline 8% in this February sweep compared to last year, but is managing to stay near its season high and is improving its demos. Ellen worked through the writers' strike, leaving the star with just her wits and ability to relate to people.
“Over the past couple of months, we've had to focus less on celebrities, so we've had more human-interest guests on the show and they've really been resonating. Ellen is fantastic with real people,” says Hilary Estey McLoughlin, president of Telepictures Productions.
DeGeneres was thrilled when her writers returned after the strike ended on Feb. 12. But the show has changed. It's “more focused on Ellen now. The writers obviously enhance the show, but she's also been more spontaneous and it's working,” says McLoughlin.
Over the course of the February sweeps, which ran Jan. 31 through Feb. 27, Ellen averaged a 2.4 live-plus-same-day national household rating, according to Nielsen Media Research. And Ellen is the only syndicated talk show that's been able to maintain its season-to-date 2.2 household rating average this year.
The real story is in its demographics. The show has improved among women 18-34 by 17%, while every other talk show declined in that key demo. In fact, CBS' The Oprah Winfrey Show has dropped 26% among young women, second only to the 30% decline of NBC Universal's Jerry Springer.
Ellen is flat among women 18-49 and has dipped by 6% among women 25-54.
All together, Ellen is the third-ranked talk show, behind Oprah Winfrey and CBS' Dr. Phil, among women 18-34 and women 18-49, although the show ranks fourth in households.
The light-hearted talker may be benefiting from an overall ratings dip for Oprah, with which Ellen goes head to head in many large markets. In February, Oprah was down 15% in households, 19% among women 18-49 and 18% among women 25-54. That said, Oprah remains the dominant talk show in syndication, leading the pack with a 6.1 household rating and notching its 86th sweeps victory in a row in February.

[AnastasiaBeavrhausen]

Dr. Phil is number 1? Ick!:eek::uglyconf:

[tcsced]

Dr. Phil is number 1? Ick!:eek::uglyconf:

Like you, I just don't understand it!:eek::mad:

It sounds like Ellen is winning more and more viewers all the time!!:D I'm glad the writers are back, but I would still love to know where Karen is! :confused:

[jupiterpro]

Paging Karen Kilgariff, paging Karen Kilgariff, pleaes report for duty:(

[misskitty]

yea i was wondering where Karen Kilgariff was myself oh well :(

[2goldenz]

The couple of times that they showed credits since the writers have been back, Karen K's name has been asbsent - do you think she left the show?

[misskitty]

oh gee i have no clue maybe she did but i don't know :confused:

[tcsced]

I am going to post in the webcam thread and ask Brian if he knows anything...surely he has to! I don't know if I'll get an answer back from him, but at this point it is the only way I know to find out...I emailed the show, but they probably won't address it on the show...which is fine, I don't care how I find out, I just want to find out!!

[bludflygrl]

Dr. Phil is number 1? Ick!:eek::uglyconf:
EEWWW:sfresse:I agree with you. Dr. Phil? WTF?

[DegeneresDerossi2007]

Talkshow split gives gabbers new life
Category divided into information, entertainment
By SUSAN YOUNG

Posted: Tue., Mar. 25, 2008, 12:38pm PT


SPLINTERED SELL: 'Multiple hosts in general tend to be off-putting,' says TV critic Gail Pennington, explaining 'The View's' longtime Emmy difficulty (only one win in 11 years).

More From This Feature
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3/25/2008

Talkshow split gives gabbers new life
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3/25/2008

Carey puts 'Price' contestants at ease
Barker's replacement gets high marks in first year
3/25/2008

Rival Emmy orgs reach a cease-fire
Arbitration puts broadband issue aside for now
3/24/2008


More News >
All News >Ellen DeGeneres has steamrolled over the competition for the past four years, taking home the talkshow Daytime Emmy since 2004.
Now, this year's move to split the category between talkshow/information and talkshow/entertainment cracks the door open for at least one other chatfest to take home the prize. So who will fill that added slot?

It could be "Dr. Phil," the skein that provided the impetus for the change, or the consistently overlooked "The View," which has taken home the talkshow trophy only once -- in 2003 -- in the 11-year history of the femme-filled series.

"Only members of the Television Academy would think they don't have enough categories," suggests Robert Bianco, TV critic for USA Today. "I thought under Rosie (O'Donnell), 'The View' became an interesting show, but I never thought it was the victim of a great injustice. You only believe that if you think this is second grade and everyone is supposed to get a valentine. We're not talking 'The Wire' here when talking about Emmy injustices."

On the surface, it would seem that morning talkshows such as "The View" and "Live With Regis and Kelly" constantly take a back seat to afternoon-slotted syndies such as "Ellen." But likability, more than timeslot, may be one of the reasons for DeGeneres' Emmy success.

"Ellen gives an incredibly astute, entertaining TV performance day after day," Bianco says. "She makes her show the most enjoyable program to watch in daytime."

Voters also haven't warmed to multiple-host talkshows.

"Even with the category split, I don't think 'The View' will win because they are women all talking at the same time. It's a great show, but the hosts are all too polarizing," says Gail Pennington, TV critic for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "Multiple hosts in general tend to be off-putting. What if you like Regis but you don't like Kelly? Or you like Whoopi but not Elizabeth? The only time Regis ever won for best talkshow host was the year he went solo after Kathy Lee left and before Kelly came on."

Brent Stanton, executive director of the Daytime Emmys for the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in New York, says he hopes a new voting procedure this year will shake things up a bit.

"In the past, the first round went to ballot among the members and then the nominees were sent to a blue-ribbon panel for judging," Stanton says. "This year, the entries will go directly to the blue-ribbon panel for judging. Essentially, there's one round of judging."

Stanton also thinks splitting the talkshow category is a step in the right direction for recognizing the differences between a show such as "Regis and Kelly" and "Dr. Phil."

After attending a "Dr. Phil" panel at the Academy in New York, Stanton was made fully aware of how the production team puts each show together, and that presentation convinced him to divide the category.

"It became very evident during that event, and people had been suggesting it for years, that shows like 'Dr. Phil' were completely different from the entertainment shows," Stanton explains. "Comparing 'Ellen' to 'Dr. Phil' was like chalk and cheese."

It will be up to each show to determine which category to enter.

"'The View' would probably be informative," Stanton says, "but we're also thinking that 'The Tyra Banks Show' would go into that news category because she has declared that she wanted to change the nature of her show."

"Dr. Phil" producer Carla Pennington says the new category puts her show on a more level playing field.

"I think it's a good thing because we are so different from an 'Ellen' or a 'Rachael Ray.' I'm glad the Academy is recognizing it," Pennington says. "We don't do celebrity or variety, and I think we all know Dr. Phil can't dance."



Date in print: Wed., Mar. 26, 2008,, Los Angeles
Back to top

[jlilest]

"We don't do celebrity or variety, and I think we all know Dr. Phil can't dance."

Thanks for that.

I just love that last line. :D

[AnastasiaBeavrhausen]

haha James, I do too! I think its a good idea to split the categories... Ellen will still win in her category! :)

[misskitty]

Talkshow split gives gabbers new life
Category divided into information, entertainment
By SUSAN YOUNG

Posted: Tue., Mar. 25, 2008, 12:38pm PT


SPLINTERED SELL: 'Multiple hosts in general tend to be off-putting,' says TV critic Gail Pennington, explaining 'The View's' longtime Emmy difficulty (only one win in 11 years).

More From This Feature
Daytime Emmys add court category
Gavel shows gain respect with new award
3/25/2008

Talkshow split gives gabbers new life
Category divided into information, entertainment
3/25/2008

'Guiding Light' modernizes production
Sudser uses handheld cameras, real locations
3/25/2008

Carey puts 'Price' contestants at ease
Barker's replacement gets high marks in first year
3/25/2008

Rival Emmy orgs reach a cease-fire
Arbitration puts broadband issue aside for now
3/24/2008


More News >
All News >Ellen DeGeneres has steamrolled over the competition for the past four years, taking home the talkshow Daytime Emmy since 2004.
Now, this year's move to split the category between talkshow/information and talkshow/entertainment cracks the door open for at least one other chatfest to take home the prize. So who will fill that added slot?

It could be "Dr. Phil," the skein that provided the impetus for the change, or the consistently overlooked "The View," which has taken home the talkshow trophy only once -- in 2003 -- in the 11-year history of the femme-filled series.

"Only members of the Television Academy would think they don't have enough categories," suggests Robert Bianco, TV critic for USA Today. "I thought under Rosie (O'Donnell), 'The View' became an interesting show, but I never thought it was the victim of a great injustice. You only believe that if you think this is second grade and everyone is supposed to get a valentine. We're not talking 'The Wire' here when talking about Emmy injustices."

On the surface, it would seem that morning talkshows such as "The View" and "Live With Regis and Kelly" constantly take a back seat to afternoon-slotted syndies such as "Ellen." But likability, more than timeslot, may be one of the reasons for DeGeneres' Emmy success.

"Ellen gives an incredibly astute, entertaining TV performance day after day," Bianco says. "She makes her show the most enjoyable program to watch in daytime."

Voters also haven't warmed to multiple-host talkshows.

"Even with the category split, I don't think 'The View' will win because they are women all talking at the same time. It's a great show, but the hosts are all too polarizing," says Gail Pennington, TV critic for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "Multiple hosts in general tend to be off-putting. What if you like Regis but you don't like Kelly? Or you like Whoopi but not Elizabeth? The only time Regis ever won for best talkshow host was the year he went solo after Kathy Lee left and before Kelly came on."

Brent Stanton, executive director of the Daytime Emmys for the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in New York, says he hopes a new voting procedure this year will shake things up a bit.

"In the past, the first round went to ballot among the members and then the nominees were sent to a blue-ribbon panel for judging," Stanton says. "This year, the entries will go directly to the blue-ribbon panel for judging. Essentially, there's one round of judging."

Stanton also thinks splitting the talkshow category is a step in the right direction for recognizing the differences between a show such as "Regis and Kelly" and "Dr. Phil."

After attending a "Dr. Phil" panel at the Academy in New York, Stanton was made fully aware of how the production team puts each show together, and that presentation convinced him to divide the category.

"It became very evident during that event, and people had been suggesting it for years, that shows like 'Dr. Phil' were completely different from the entertainment shows," Stanton explains. "Comparing 'Ellen' to 'Dr. Phil' was like chalk and cheese."

It will be up to each show to determine which category to enter.

"'The View' would probably be informative," Stanton says, "but we're also thinking that 'The Tyra Banks Show' would go into that news category because she has declared that she wanted to change the nature of her show."

"Dr. Phil" producer Carla Pennington says the new category puts her show on a more level playing field.

"I think it's a good thing because we are so different from an 'Ellen' or a 'Rachael Ray.' I'm glad the Academy is recognizing it," Pennington says. "We don't do celebrity or variety, and I think we all know Dr. Phil can't dance."



Date in print: Wed., Mar. 26, 2008,, Los Angeles
Back to top

thanks so much for the information

[jupiterpro]

"We don't do celebrity or variety, and I think we all know Dr. Phil can't dance."


Seriously don't even try Dr. Phil, I can't imagine it and certainly don't want another mishap.;)

[DBSD]

"We don't do celebrity or variety, and I think we all know Dr. Phil can't dance."


THAT`S FOR SURE
LOL That really cracked me up for sure.
Well said :p