Like the consummate professional and gentleman that he is, Regis Philbin left a significant present behind on his way out the door on "Live! With Regis and Kelly."
Philbin's last episode on "Live! With Regis and Kelly" enjoyed a massive bump in the ratings, according to preliminary household numbers. Friday's "Live!" — which marked his final day of co-hosting since he signed on in 1988 — drew an average 7.3 household rating in 56 metered markets.
Also read: Regis Philbin's Farewell Message
To put that in perspective, that's about two-and-a-half times the 2.9 rating that the show received during last November's sweep, and nearly twice the numbers that the show has posted overall for this year's November sweep.
Philbin's farewell episode did particularly well in Atlanta, where it posted a 10.6 household rating; Louisville, where it received a 10.7, and Dayton, Ohio, where the episode posted a 17.1 percent.
Friday's episode was the culmination of a six-week growth spurt for the show, as audiences prepared to bid adieu to the veteran host. From an average 2.7 rating in the metered markets on the week of Oct. 10-14, the show built, eventually rising to an average 4.6 rating for Philbin's final week.