While many syndicated shows were thankful to recover, sharply, after getting kicked around by World Cup soccer in the previous week’s holiday ratings rout, the only one to score a new season high in the session ending Dec. 4 was the recently renewed Kelly Clarkson.

The original American Idol’s talker played to its largest audience of the syndication year with 1.4 million daily viewers and its strongest Nielsen number since last January with an 11% leap to a 44-week high 1.0 live national household rating. The show, which blew past its year-ago average by double digits, featured a bevy of big-name guest stars including Christina Applegate, Idina Menzel and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Talk leader Live with Kelly and Ryan at a steady 1.5, and Dr. Phil, which rebounded 27% to a strong second-place 1.4, were the only members of the yak pack finishing ahead of Clarkson.

Meanwhile, morning and afternoon programs again had to contend with more than 36 hours of preemptions for World Cup coverage on Fox stations.

In access time periods, the top magazines were on the move with Inside Edition tacking on 28% and Entertainment Tonight spiking 16% to a 2.3 and a 2.2, respectively.

Game shows survived after getting killed the week before with Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune and Family Feud all coming back from their lowest levels of the season.

The top talk shows for the week among women 25-54 were:

• Live with Kelly and Ryan (0.5, unchanged from the week before)
• Dr. Phil (0.4, unchanged)
• Kelly Clarkson (0.3, unchanged), tied with Tamron Hall (0.3, unchanged) and Drew Barrymore (0.3, unchanged)

In the household rating rankings that follow, % change is from the previous week; * indicates a new season-high rating; ** indicates a new season low; NC indicates no change from the previous week; NA means not applicable.

TALK SHOWS

Live with Kelly and Ryan (Disney-ABC) 1.5 NC

Dr. Phil (CMV) 1.4 +27%

The Kelly Clarkson Show (NBCU) 1.0* +11%

Tamron Hall (Disney-ABC) 0.8 NC

Rachael Ray (CMV) 0.7 +17%

Drew Barrymore (CMV) 0.7 -13%

Steve Wilkos (NBCU) 0.5 NC

Maury (NBCU) 0.4 NC

Jerry Springer Combo (NBCU) 0.3 NC

FRESHMAN SHOWS

Pictionary (CMV) 0.4 NC

We the People with Judge Lauren Lake (CF Entertainment) 0.3 NC

Karamo (NBCU) NA

Jennifer Hudson (WBDTD) NA

Sherri (CMV) NA

iCrime with Elizabeth Vargas (Trifecta) NA

COURT SHOWS

Judge Judy (CMV) 3.9 NC

Hot Bench(CMV) 1.1 +10%

People’s Court (WBDTD) 0.6 NC

Judge Mathis (WBDTD) 0.5 NC

Relative Justice (EW Media Group) 0.3 NC

Divorce Court (Fox First Run) NA

GAME SHOWS

Jeopardy (CMV) 5.7 +27%

Wheel of Fortune (CMV) 5.2 +27%

Family Feud (Debmar-Mercury/FMNA) 4.6 +12%

Funny You Should Ask(Entertainment Studios) 0.4 +33%

You Bet Your Life (Fox First Run) NA

25 Words or Less (Fox First Run) NA

MAGAZINE SHOWS

Inside Edition (CMV) 2.3 +28%

Entertainment Tonight (CMV) 2.2 +16%

Access Hollywood (NBCU) 0.7 NC

Extra (WBDTD) 0.5 NC

TMZ (Fox First Run) NA

Dish Nation (Fox First Run) NA

OFF-NET SITCOMS

Big Bang Theory (WBDTD) 1.8 +13%

Last Man Standing (Disney-ABC) 1.0 +11%

Young Sheldon (WBDTD) 0.7 NC

Modern Family (Disney-ABC) 0.7 NC

Two and a Half Men (WBDTD) 0.7 +17%

The Goldbergs(Sony) 0.6 NC

Family Guy (Disney-ABC) 0.5** -17%

Seinfeld (Sony) 0.5 NC

The Neighborhood (CMV) 0.5 NC

Black-ish (Disney-ABC) 0.4 -20%

Mom (WBDTD) 0.4 +33%

OFF-NET WEEKLY HOURS

Dateline Weekly (NBCU) 3.5 -5%

Law & Order: SVU (NBCU) 2.0 +25%

Chicago Fire (NBCU) 1.3 +30%

Chicago P.D. (NBCU) 1.0 -9%

The Rookie (Disney-ABC) 0.8 -11%

Magnum P.I. (CMV) 0.7 +17%

­­­Seal Team (CMV) 0.7 +40%