Vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin once again proved herself a ratings magnet with her Saturday Night Live guest spot pulling in the show’s highest numbers in 14 years, according to early overnight results from Nielsen. The Oct. 18 show’s 10.7 rating put it 161 percent over the same week last year and made it SNL‘s most-watched episode since Nancy Kerrigan hosted on March 12, 1994; it ranked for the entire week below only primetime behemoths Dancing With the Stars and CSI.
The rest of the weekend brought in more ho-hum numbers for primetime. CBS won Friday night thanks to Ghost Whisperer (8.9 million viewers) and Numb3rs (8.6 million), though NBC’s two-hour Crusoe premiere (7.3 million) beat CBS’ freshman romantic dramedy The Ex List (6.4 million) in the 9 p.m. hour. The Eye also won Saturday with its lineup of crime show reruns, averaging 6.2 million viewers, and yes, it won the much more competitive Sunday as well, averaging 13.5 million viewers. Its lineup (60 Minutes, The Amazing Race, Cold Case, and The Unit) got a big assist from its early-evening football lead-in, but ABC’s Desperate Housewives (15.3 million) wound up the 9 p.m. hour winner. Meanwhile, The CW barely registered with In Harm’s Way (635,000), Valentine Inc. (718,000), and Easy Money (722,000). Sounds like someone needs a miracle guest appearance from a certain governor.
More TV News:
Sarah Palin on SNL — What did you think?
Sarah Palin on SNL in Sound Bites
Tina Fey’s Sarah Palin — bad for SNL?
Eh, Fey still makes a better Palin: http://tinyurl.com/6det3k
After the elections, the reality of SNL’s ratings will set in.
They’ll be dismal.
The show won’t be able to carry itself outside of all of these political skits.
Also, just when did Tina Fey reinvent the comedy wheel?
You people carry on wayyyyy too much about her.
She’s severly overrated.
KC – There is no need to talk trash about Tina Fey. She is brilliant. She is definitely benefiting from a love affair the entertainment media and community has with her, but that does not make her overrated. She deserves everything she has received.
Josh, that’s your opinion and you’re entitled to it, much like myself, but I cannot believe the media is so focused on mediocrity these days.
Outside of Tina Fey, we’re constantly lambasted with praise about the comedy stylings of Seth Rogen, Judd Apatow, Tina Fey, Steve Carrell. The list goes on and on.
Those people are somewhat funny, but by no means “comedy gold”.
I think Will Ferrell was the dawning of mediocrity in comedy.
I really didn’t mean to mention Fey twice that last time.
Shouldn’t this headline read, “Making Fun of Sarah Palin boosts SNL’s ratings”?
I wish this article had consistency in regards to the numbers. It gives the SNL rating (I always have trouble understanding all the TV ratings numbers), but not the actual number of viewers. Then it gives the numbers of other highly rated shows in terms of millions.
If it’s true comedy gold you’re after, the show to watch this weekend was The Family Guy – it was probably the series’ strongest episode ever with parodies ranging from Little Shop of Horrors and Back to the Future to Ninety-Nine Luft balloons, The Marx Brothers, and conservative politics. It was BRILLIANT.
KC,
Maybe you just don’t get the jokes? Perhaps?
Meh, Palin sucked! She has no sense of humour and was dismal.
Love Tina Fey though! Nails it everytime!
KC – If you don’t share the same sense of humour, dont bash those who do. (biotch!)
No, I guess I’m just not simple-minded.
or an outdated simpleton still calling people biotch.
KC – You are entitled to your opinion as we all are. I think Tina Fey can be considered comedy gold at some point. She is extremely talented and not a one trick pony like the rest of your list: Seth Rogen: Same character in every movie. Apatow: Talented writer: Freaks and Geeks. 40 Year Old Virgin. But he needs to shake things up a bit. Steve Carell: Plays Michael Scott very well, but can’t do much else as confirmed by his foray into movies even though I thought his performances in Dan in Real Life and Little Miss Sunshine had hints of real acting talent: he has a ways to go in that sense, but you can’t say he is not talented or funny in the right role. Will Ferrel has made too many mediocre and dumb movies that he can’t be relied upon for comedy greatness. The leader of the pack in your list is definitely Tina Fey. What other performer can step into roles of writer, actor, producer and do each part extremely well? Tina Fey will be considered comedy gold when she is done.
KC,
you have expressed your opinion. there’s no need to continue to plague the boards with your insults and redundentcy.
We understand you are not a fan of Tina Fey, but considering this board isn’t solely about Tina Fey, unless you have something else to add on another topic, something resembling intelligent conversation, please quit spamming the boards.