'Saturday Night Live' 40th Anniversary Breaks Ratings Records

[big_dog]

Source: Entertainment Weekly

If only Saturday Night Live could turn 40 every week. NBC’s marathon-length SNL anniversary special delivered enormous ratings Sunday night. The episode averaged an incredible 23.1 million viewers and a 7.8 rating among adults 18-49 during the prime-time portion of its three-and-a-half hour telecast.

According to NBC, this is the network’s most-watched prime-time entertainment telecast (so excluding Super Bowl coverage) in more than 10 years—since the ER finale in 2004. Among the adult demo, it’s the top-rated primetime entertainment telecast in more than eight years (since the Will & Grace finale in 2006).

Records were also broken on Twitter, with 9.1 million people seeing tweets about the special, earning SNL the highest number of Twitter TV impressions of any series episode to date, as measured by Nielsen Social.

The special may have been helped by severe cold on the East Coast, which had residents being advised to stay indoors, as well as a lack of competition from rival broadcast networks.

Read more: http://www.ew.com/article/2015/02/16/snl-anniversary-breaks-nbc-ratings-records

[djean111]

1. Good! I enjoyed it.

It had its highs and lows, just like SNL always does.
It had me at the Jewish Dracula.
I was happy at the cheer for the 5 second glimpse of the syncopated swimming, which I consider one of the best moments.
Brought back such a rush of memories. Have watched it, not always faithfully, since it began.

[big_dog]

2. SNL just drew what the NFL would get in that timeslot

against the walking dead and pbs downtown abby live, amazing

[djean111]

5. Well, I would have not been watching TV at all, TV would have been off until 10 o'clock,

when House of Lies and Episodes came on HBO. On the other hand, I am not a Nielsen family.

[big_dog]

6. i would love to see another in 10 years

im sure there are characters and guests they could add for 50

[djean111]

8. Me too! Imagine what Keith Richards will look like then!

I would show more of the greatest hits/clips, though.
And not invite Sarah Palin. Or Trump.

[mountain grammy]

3. I loved it. A couple of slow spots, but mostly hilarious.

I really wanted to see the skit with Nixon talking to the portraits of dead presidents and Belushi as Kissinger.

After my initial shock and dismay, I loved the redo of Rosanne Rosanna Danna, my favorite character may Gilda rest in peace.

[big_dog]

4. the scary part is that the ratings could have been even higher!

without Walking Dead or Downton A, they could have pulled Oscar type numbers back in the day 36.. 38 or 40

[Samantha]

17. I loved it too mountain grammy

I also loved Gilda. Seeing those spots that showcased her made me smile, but I don't think I will ever get over seeing her go at such a young age (somewhere around 42 I believe) of a disease which could have been cured if caught a lot earlier. What a loss, what a loss.

My favorite laugh-out-loud line was in the Jeopardy segment. One of the categories was WHO READS.
The contestant that picked that category called it out as WHORE ADS.

Sam

[roamer65]

7. Seeing Steve Martin do King Tut again was priceless.

So was Dan Aykroyd doing Bass-o-Matic and Bill Murray as Nick Ocean doing the love theme from Jaws.

Jane Curtin's delivery of the joke that she used to be the only pretty blonde delivering the fake news, but now there is a whole network devoted to it...faux news...was brilliant.

[mainstreetonce]

9. The early years were the best thing ever on TV.

I used to sit up on Sat. Night and rock my baby. I swear his first words sounded like Belushi.

[Omaha Steve]

13. Marta and I agree on the early years

Congrats on the 40th anniversary!

K&R!

[KeepItReal]

10. Loved the Jeopardy skit

[davidpdx]

16. It was

Jim Carrey was the best part. His spoof of the Lincoln commercials are great. I think they tend to go a little overboard with Sean Connery and his dirty jokes.

[madamvlb]

11. I don't know, I really didn't enjoy it all that much.

I watched the whole show, really enjoyed a few moments, buts that's about it.

[Yavin4]

12. Lorne Michaels is all that NBC really has.

When SNL started, he and the show were on the fringe. They only did the show because Carson didn't want re-runs of the tonight show to air Saturday nights. SNL survived many cancellation threats.

Today? SNL is pretty much all that's left of NBC entertainment.

[Nedsdag]

14. The Voice is NBC's highest rated show.

Last I checked, it was entertainment.

[Yavin4]

15. Shows like The Voice have a very short shelf life

American Idol once ruled, but look at it now.