Via NBC Press Release:
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE’ JUMPS 23 PERCENT VERSUS LAST WEEK AND 42 PERCENT VERSUS LAST YEAR
WITH HOST ANNE HATHAWAY, MUSICAL GUEST THE KILLERS AND SPECIAL APPEARANCES BY TINA FEY AND QUEEN LATIFAH, ‘SNL’ SCORES ITS SECOND-HIGHEST METERED-MARKET RATING SINCE 2002
WITH AN UNPRECEDENTED EARLY START TO ITS ‘08-09 SEASON, ‘SNL’ IS RUNNING 49 PERCENT AHEAD OF LAST YEAR’S OPENING FOUR EDITIONS IN THE METERED MARKETS
BURBANK, Calif. – October 5, 2008 – “Saturday Night Live” has delivered another towering overnight rating, its second-highest average since 2002, according to metered-market household ratings from Nielsen Media Research.
Last night’s edition was hosted by Anne Hathaway and featured musical guest The Killers and special appearances by recent Emmy winner Tina Fey (for “30 Rock”), reprising her role as Republican VP candidate Gov. Sarah Palin, and Queen Latifah, as debate moderator Gwen Ifill. The telecast averaged a 7.4 rating, 18 share in metered-market households, up 42 percent versus the 5.2/12 for last season’s fourth original on November 3, 2007.
The October 4 “Saturday Night Live” finished within a tenth of a rating point of this year’s season premiere on September 13 (7.5/18), making this the second-highest “SNL” in the metered markets since December 14, 2002 (with host Al Gore and musical guest Phish). Last night’s “SNL” was the evening’s #1 telecast, beating all primetime programs on all networks in the metered markets.
“Saturday Night Live” is up week-to-week by 23 percent in the metered markets (7.4/18 vs. 6.0/15) and up 30 percent versus two weeks ago (7.4/18 vs. 5.7/14).
Through the first four weeks of its 2008-09 season, “Saturday Night Live” is running 49 percent ahead of the first four weeks of last season in the metered markets (6.7/16 vs. 4.5/11).
“Saturday Night Live” premiered two weeks earlier this season than in recent years, an unprecedented scheduling move designed to take advantage of intense interest in the 2008 election campaign. NBC will continue to tap into this year’s heightened political interest with “Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday,” a series of primetime editions that debuts this Thursday at 9:30 p.m. ET and will run for three weeks, and “Saturday Night Live Presidential Bash 2008,” which will feature vintage and new material showcasing “SNL’s” presidential satire, airing at 9:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 3, the night before the election.
National ratings, viewer totals and demographic results for last night’s “Saturday Night Live” are due from Nielsen on Thursday, Oct. 9.
It’s that Palin Power. SNL is going to be super sad when Obama wins and Palin disappears.
Tina Fey already said, that she doesn’t want to continue this after the election, so SNL will still be screwed. I guess she left SNL and didn’t plan on coming back week after week, but she just happens to look so much like Palin. Writing for movies(last one wasn’t that good) and 30 Rock(great show), are more of her focus.
They’re so high now, that it’s going to look like a murder when they fall back down below even last year, because outside of Politics, SNL still isn’t close to being really funny again.
It may be worth getting McCain/Palin voted in just so we could have 4 years of Tina Fey doing the Palin gig.
I know that Tina Fey is getting all the attention but the rest of the show is doing very well too. Last week had some great skits, the Mary Poppins one was my favorite, Mark Whalberg talking to animals was a great impression, and the Lawrence Welk show was great (pretty gross but I laughed the whole time), and the thing with Nancy Pelosi and George Bush was funny too, aaaand the most youtubed newsshow was good too. It’s all good.
And even the week before with Anna Faris was great too.
- izi
The show is going to be hurting more when Tina Fey no longer does Palin …
That being said, this last episode (#4) for the season was the funniest of the season from beginning to end.
So, with the ratings being so high & getting people like me who used to watch the show regularly ten years ago…I am starting to know the new cast and seem to be watching the show regularly again. You can probably count on me checking out most episodes for this season.
I don’t think the Palin thing is going to go away just after election day either. Don’t tell me Tina Fey can’t do a couple more surprise skits of “Palin back at home in Alaska”…say for the November and February sweeps? She’s amazing and you know they could cook up a couple of more REALLY funny skits in the future!
LOL