LIVE! With Kelly and Michael's debut episode managed to rouse the talk show's ratings out of slumber. Former NFL player Michael Strahan's first episode of the morning show — which was briefly renamed LIVE! With Kelly following Regis Philbin's exit in November — nabbed a 3.9 household rating/13 share, according to Deadline. That's a 24 percent increase from last season's final premiere with morning show legend Philbin.
Of course, the show didn't manage to meet its highest number in nine years, when Philbin's final day attracted a 7.3 household rating. Still, good news for the morning talker, which saw ratings dip following Philbin's departure. And though it's too soon to tell whether buzz surrounding Ripa's choice or the choice himself is responsible for the uptick, the number is encouraging for a series taking a chance on Strahan, an athlete with little name recognition amongst
LIVE!'s demographic. But, then again, we could have said the same about
Kelly Ripa in 2000...
[Image Credit: ABC]