SNL Return Scores Highest Ratings In Two Years

The post-strike return of NBC's "Saturday Night Live" scored the show's highest overnight rating in two years.

Hosted by former "SNL" cast member/head writer Tina Fey and featuring Carrie Underwood as the musical guest, the show delivered a 6.1 rating/15 share in metered-market households -- the highest average since a Feb. 4, 2006 episode hosted by Steve Martin. That's also up 36% from the show's pre-strike average this season.

Read more from the Hollywood Reporter.

Watch clips and read a summary from the show's highly-rated return.

Comments

[Manx]

I didn't know that anyone other than masochists still watch SNL. I remember when it used to be funny. It became unfunny, sophomoric and irrelevant. Tina Fey leaves me cold.

[JavaCityGal]

After waiting for 12 weeks, I was SO disappointed! First, there wasn't anything on the entire show even remotely funny. And the "debate" was really bad -- terrible faux Obama and the skit was so poorly written and excecuted. And what's up with Tina Fey turning a once funny show into a 90 minute commerical for her favorite candidate? I watch a comedy show to be entertained, not told what to do -- that was insulting. My advice-- fire all the writers immediately -- most especially that talentless Tina Fey. In the meantime, I'll find my political satire elsewhere.

[ClaudiaJean]

How come if you look up your profile, you've posted 3 comments, all about SNL. You're a troll and a plant.

How do we know?

1) You waited 12 weeks and found nothing funny, at all? It was poorly written and executed? SNL might not be brilliant but there were laughs to be had - perhaps you lack a sense of humor?

2) "I watch a comedy show to be entertained, not told what to do" -- that is AWESOME! Did you cut & paste the talking points you were directed to post on message boards discussing the SNL sketch or did you take the time to retype the words yourself? No one is stupid enough to do something because SNL "told" them -- if you think they are, you're the moron. If you think you're dumb enough to do what you're told because SNL tells you, you're a sheep.

3) "The talentless Tina Fey" -- you are so incredibly ill-informed and off-the-mark, your comments are the surest sign of a GOP/Fox/Rove (or anti Clinton lunatic - cause really, who can tell the difference these days) lurking on this site.

You might not have found SNL funny, but your post? That's a laugh riot. Pure comedy. Be gone.

[ClaudiaJean]

also, this exact post was posted elsewhere, by you. agenda driven troll... JavaCity should find better citizens...

[EBennett]

I missed SNL on Saturday and I tried to access the video of Tina Fey's piece on YouTube and I got a message that due "to copyright issues" the video was unavailable. I tried links to other SNL videos (including from that same show date - one with Huckabee) and they were working. If there were a copyright issue wouldn't ALL of the links be inactive. I'm actually starting to get a little frightened. Something very dishonest is going on. Anything pro-Clinton is slammed, destroyed, hidden, etc. She gets nothing but criticism from all quarters while Obama gets a free ride.

[realrick]

Has Hillary ever had her patriotism questioned by CNN and AP? Over flag lapel pins?? Over whether she put her hand over her heart during the national anthem??

Was Hillary falsely accused by F**ked News of attending a madrasa (sp) when she was a child?

Is Hillary accused of being unsubstantial on policy simply because she is eloquent and inspirational? (I know--she's never been accused of being eloquent and inspirational. But, if she were, would that be "fair media treatment"?)

To paraphrase something Bill Clinton said, this "Obama's gotten a free ride from the media" nonsense is "the biggest fairy tale I've ever heard".

The fact is, they've both taken unfair hits from the media. The difference is Obama isn't whining about it nor using it as an excuse for a failure to secure the nomination yet.

[ObamaEdwards]

The sketches were funny. Even Tina Fey's poli-outburst was amusing. (Although, really, this "vote for Hill cuz she's a girl" thing has to die. Women would not necessarily make the world better if they were in charge. Anybody remember Margaret Thatcher?) The fauxbama actor has a long way to go. The laughs only died when he was on camera. SNL spent so much time finding an actor who was physically right, seems like he didn't have time to find his character yet. It will come, but it may take a while. Right now his performance is so broad and simple, there's nothing to hang a joke on.

[ClaudiaJean]

That's sorta the point, too... at least for THIS sketch's premise.

Beyond this sketch, yes -- he's going to need to work on his Obama.

[realrick]

The spike in ratings was due to a confluence of high interest in the political campaigns right now and the end of the writers strike with an audience starved for new material.

After seeing the dreck that SNL slapped up on the wall this weekend, I suspect that the ratings will drift back down to their bland, pre-strike levels.

This show has really lost its mojo compared to what it was in the 70s and 80s. It needs to be rebooted or, simply, booted.

[Nova16]

SNL has become bland and trite. Faith based politics has become tiresome and annoying with Huckabee's visage on every venue in TV land. Some may find him humorous, but his baptist background and dependency on "miracles", prayer and conversations with Jesus make any attempt to portray him as reasonable and rational is the biggest joke of all. The skits, parodies and comedy of MAD TV were always better than SNL for the most part. Huckabee would do anything to advance his career in politics. Thank goodness that Falwell and Robertson never thought they were comedians.

[LaFilleEnRose]

Don't ja just love it that they played Hillary as this innocent who never gets to put a word in edgewise. Oh yes like that's the truth. Instead of playing her honestly -- like she's the reincarnation of Cybill -- one minute yelling, the next, hugging Obama, the next faux anger at the media, and with more changing campaign messages than Obama supporters have change signs, but no, they decided to play her in a way so contradictory to the reality because why? Well the media is too positive about Obama? Fact is, SNL's stupid depiction of the situation was a perfect testament to Hillary herself. Having continually dismissed Obama's abilities as mere rhetoric with no substance, it is fitting that her supporters like Tina Fey and SNL would also imply that Obama isn't WINNING. Of course, the media is anointing him. The black man can't be competent. Brilliant strategist? Oh no, it can't be that. It must be because the media loves him.

[lungfish]

Indeed, Obama is a brilliant strategist and it has been very interesting watching him. Subtle, composed, articulate... everything that Bush/Cheney aren't and Hillary wants to be. She wants it so bad that she has tried to usurp Obama's principles instead of finding some of her own. Trying to beat him at his own game is not a good idea and if she has learned that lesson it may still be too late....

As my Dad said, "change is what I get from the clerk at the store. I want competence..". She hasn't sold us on her competence and Obama is doing a better job at selling us on his. They are both newbies...

Personally, I see her as desparate and unable to find her own identity - and its because she is motivated to be POTUS for the prestige... she has no vision of leadership and that is where Obama has her. He may not have experience, though his legislative record is pretty impressive, but what he does have is a vision that translates into a reason to be POTUS beyond just the nameplate on the desk.

I think SNL did a good job, though... and I am not reading anything political into it, it was simply funny and entertaining. I remember when Hillary had all the pundits in her corner and Obama wasn't a likely contender and now the situation has simply turned. Nobody's fault but her own.

[johnnyjust]

SNL has never been a gut-busting laugh-out-loud show. Even in the "hey-dey." Either brings a smile or a grimace. Usually a yawn.

[NoRepresentation]

Yeah too bad the show is a piece of shit

[ChiGuy]

All that waiting just to tune into Tina Fey's personal one and a half hour commercial for Hillary.

[Ides]

I was curious. I watched it. It sucked. I won't be watching it again. (I didn't even know people still watched Saturday Night Live.)


I won't even watch MadTV, which was funny as hell to my surprise, but not consistent enough for me to donate an entire hour on Saturday Night.

[ACunningham]

Here are a couple of suggestions for the SNL to look into in relation to the Clintons:

1. TAX RETURNS

2. NAFTA

3. IRAQ WAR

4. EARMARKS (she's in the top 10 for giving them)

5. CLINTON LIBRARY DONOR'S LIST

6. SEALED WHITE HOUSE RECORDS

7. Voting to CLUSTER BOMB Civilians in Iraq

.

[Mollye]

Spam

[ACunningham]

Did you just mark my comment as Spam?

Ah, Funnnnnnny. I guess this is what Billary mean when their corrupt history is brought to the voters' attention!!!

.

[SensibleAmerican]

All SNL has to remind viewers is how Barack is simply Bush in Black. Go back to 2000 and compare resumes, speeches and track records!!!

[Cybesq]

You can't tell the difference between Barack and Bush? Really??

When you compare resumes, do you just check off "Ivy league" schools without the observation that one was a C student whose Daddy pulled legacy favors and the other worked his way to become the first African American editor of Harvard Law Review?

When you compare speeches, what speech of Bush would you compare to Barack's inspiring keynote speech to the 2004 Democratic National Convention? (Let me know when Bush learns to pronounce "nuclear" and then we can start looking at Bush's speech giving abilities)

When you compare track records, what do you put in the Bush column when you get to Barack's serving as a civil rights leader and community organizer in Chicago? Would you compare Barack's winning a seat in the U.S. Senate with a 70% margin, to Bush's losing a run for a seat in the House of Representatives in 1978? His failed oil businesses? His SEC investigation for insider trading? His DUI conviction?

The same huh? If I gave you a bag of hammers and told you it was an orange, would you eat it?

[Silpat]

8. Hillary's college thesis on Marxism

[nieddu]

How many personalities has Hillary? She sure is getting desperate and determined to grab the democratic nomination nomination. If she wins the nomination I will be casting my vote for McCain in the fall, Hillary is too divisive selfish, and willing to do any thing to achieve her goal. Of course if Obama runs as am indipenent I'll reconsider my vote.

[AZDave]

Um, the "boy president"? Isn't Obama younger than he is?

I'm actually hoping for an Obama win, but when he gets the nomination, it'll be an uphill battle against McCain. Lame as he is, I think it'll be a major drubbing.

Let the games begin.

[Ides]

They call him SENATOR Obama.

[UkieOlie]

Rather lame on the whole.
But the Watch out for the bitch part was terrific.
Yes, bitches get things done.