I’m not sure if this trend will continue — they’re called “trends” for a reason, after all — but, for the second consecutive week, “Live with Kelly and Michael” topped perennial first-placer “Dr. Phil” to rank as daytime’s top-rated talk show.
For the week ending Jan. 5, “Live” (Kelly Ripa, Michael Strahan) averaged 4.7 million viewers to “Dr. Phil’s” 3.6 million viewers. It’s not the first time that “Live” has finished first for two consecutive weeks — that first occurred last August — but a gap of 1 million viewers is notable, especially for a genre where the numbers move at a glacial pace, timeslots notwithstanding. (In New York, “Live” airs at 9 a.m. on Ch. 7, while “Dr. Phil” airs at 3 p.m. on Ch. 4). Stay tuned.
“Live’s” ABC stablemate, “The View,” meanwhile, surged to 3.5 million viewers (11 a.m./Ch. 7), its best showing in a year, while snaring 782,000 viewers among women 25-54 — its highest numbers in that demo in nearly a year.
Bobby’s carrying a ’toon
Bobby Moynihan (“Saturday Night Live”) will segue from 11:35 p.m. to morning TV when he goes cellular with a role on Disney Junior’s “Jake and the Never Land Pirates.”
In the episode, airing Jan. 31, Moynihan will voice the role of King Crab who, with his lackeys, kidnaps Cubby — after mistaking him for Jake — and takes him to King Crab Island. The episode, “Cubby’s Crabby Crusade,” will air at 8:30 a.m. on the Disney Channel programming block. David Arquette plays Skully on the series, which, this season will feature guest stars Mark Hamill, Rico Rodriguez (Manny from “Modern Family”), Carl Reiner and former “Supernanny” Jo Frost.
More kids TV: Queens-born Adam Peltzman, who now lives in Brooklyn, has created “Wallykazam!” premiering Feb. 3 on Nickelodeon (1 p.m.). The animated preschool literacy series — which follows the adventures of a troll named Wally and his pet dragon, Norville — will feature first-season celebrity guests including Weird Al Yankovic, John O’Hurley, Vanessa Bayer and Kate Micucci. Peltzman has worked on “The Backyardigans” and “Bubble Guppies.”
Last, but not least . . .
“Real Time with Bill Maher,” which kicks off its 12th season Friday night on HBO, has been renewed for Season 13 (35 episodes) . . . Saturday at Cucina Ciano: Sonja Morgan and Ernie Anastos join the new eatery’s owners Stratis Morfogen, Unik Ernest and Jean Shafiroff at a brunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (181 E. 78th) . . . Consuelo Mack’s “Investors Predictions” interviews with Ed Hyman and Bill Miller airs Friday (7:30 p.m./Ch. 21) . . . Jackie “The Joke Man” Martling hosts “Gotham Comedy Live” Thursday (10 p.m.) on AXS TV . . . John Mahoney (“Frasier”) will guest star on the upcoming (eighth) season of UK/PBS series “Foyle’s War” . . . Books: “Inside HBO’s Game of Thrones: Seasons 3 & 4” (Chronicle Books) will be out in the fall.