Regis Philbin's Final 'Live!' Broadcast Pulls 9.45 Million Viewers

David Russell/ABC Domestic TV Final national ratings are in for Regis Philbin's last week on Live!, and the show posted huge gains for the week, with his final episode bringing in 9.45 million viewers.our editor recommendsFirst 'Live!' Episode After Regis Philbin's Departure Draws Good RatingsRegis Philbins Final Live! Episode Set to Net Record Ratings The highly watched Nov. 18 broadcast, which brought in 23 percent of home's using televisions, pushed Philbin's last week to an average of 5.57 million viewers from Nov. 14-18. STORY: Bob Iger Says He's in 'No Rush' to Replace Regis Philbin on 'Live!' Prior to his departure, the series was averaging 3.42 million per episode. Another big daytime exit in 2011, the final episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, did best Live! by a bit. A season of hype led to 16.4 million total viewers for Winfrey's final broadcast. STORY: Regis Philbin's Final 'Live!' Hits Ratings High After last week's metered market ratings, national numbers for the episode give it a 6.7 rating households rating. The average household rating for the week was a 4.2. The first week of Live! With Kelly, with Kelly Ripa manning the show with guest co-hosts Jerry Seinfeld and Jerry O'Connell, didn't lose much momentum from the Thanksgiving holiday. The retitled show delivered a 3.4 households rating according to metered markets. Oprah Winfrey TV Ratings Regis Philbin Kelly Ripa Live With Regis and Kelly Live! With Kelly