'SNL' brings in big numbers

Latenight show scores best ratings in 2 years

By RICK KISSELL

Auds flocked to the first episode of "Saturday Night Live" since the start of the writers strike, as the Tina Fey-hosted edition posted the latenight show's best overnights in two years.

Airing an original episode for the first time since the fall, "Saturday Night Live" averaged a 6.1 rating/15 share in Nielsen's metered-market households. It's the strongest local-market result for "SNL" since February 4, 2006 (a telecast hosted by Steve Martin and featuring Prince as musical guest).

"Saturday Night Live" topped the show's average for originals prior to the WGA strike by 36% (6.1/15 vs. 4.5/11) and was up by 17% vs. its delivery on the same night a year ago. Episode included Carrie Underwood as musical guest and Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee as a special guest during the "Weekend Update" segment.

Also, Martin made a brief guest appearance during Fey's opening monologue.

This season's previous "SNL" originals averaged 5.8 million viewers, so it's safe to say that this weekend's edition easily topped 7 million viewers. That would make it a bigger draw than any Saturday primetime telecast over the last six weeks.

This was the first of four straight weeks of "SNL," with Oscar nominee Ellen Page on tap to host this week.

NBC also got some encouraging news Friday for the debut new gameshow "Amnesia." Show, hosted by Dennis Miller, averaged a second-place 2.4/7 in 18-49 and 7.6 million viewers overall in the 9 o'clock hour but outperformed every episode of "Friday Night Lights" in the timeslot for the Peacock this season.

CBS also did well with its own gameshow Friday, as its first "Price Is Right" primetime seg featuring new host Drew Carey won the 8 o'clock hour with a prelim 2.5/8 in 18-49 and 9.4 million viewers.

Of note on Thursday was another strong tune-in for a Democratic presidential debate. CNN averaged a 2.1/6 in 18-49 and 7.58 million viewers overall from 8-9:44 p.m., down a bit from the record-setting numbers for the cabler's most recent Democratic debate on Jan. 31 (2.3/6 in 18-49, 8.32m).

Univision, a co-sponsor with CNN, carried the debate at 11:30 p.m., although Nielsens were not available on Friday. Net posted big numbers in primetime with the "Premio Lo Nuestro Latin Music Awards" (prelim 2.7/7 in 18-49, 5.9 million).

Fox's special "American Idol" results show dominated Thursday (8.5/22, 23.37m), leading into series highs for "Don't Forget the Lyrics" (4.8/11, 12.43), which placed second at 9 to ABC's "Lost" (5.7/13, 13.65m).