Palin draws big ratings for 'Saturday Night Live'

[question everything]

Palin draws big ratings for 'Saturday Night Live'
By DAVID BAUDER, AP Television Writer Sun Oct 19, 7:50 pm ET

NEW YORK – The entertainment summit of the season — Sarah Palin and her impersonator, Tina Fey — earned "Saturday Night Live" its best ratings in 14 years. But if you blinked, you might have missed it. Fey was answering questions at a news conference, something Palin hasn't done yet as the Republican vice presidential nominee, when Palin walked on the stage. Fey beat a hasty retreat in the opening segment, walking past the real Palin with a barely perceptible nod. If anyone was hoping for a side-by-side photo of the identically dressed women, they were out of luck.

Palin's guest shot, widely anticipated since Fey began imitating her a month ago, led "Saturday Night Live" to its highest mark in overnight Nielsen Media Research ratings since March 1994, when assaulted skater Nancy Kerrigan was guest host.

(snip)

In the show's opening, Fey's Palin said at a news conference: "First off, I just want to say how excited I am to be in front of both the liberal elite media, as well as the liberal regular media. I am looking forward to a portion of your questions." Moments later, the camera cut away to the real Palin watching a television monitor alongside the show's executive producer, Lorne Michaels. Palin stood quietly as Fey's "30 Rock" co-star Alec Baldwin came by, mistook Palin for Fey and pleaded with Michaels not to let the actor go onstage with the governor.

"This is the most important election in our nation's history and you want her, our Tina, to go out there and stand with that horrible woman?" Baldwin said. When Michaels introduced him to Palin, Baldwin feigned embarrassment and replied: "I see. Forgive me. I feel I must say this: You are way hotter in person." Palin got even, saying: "Thank you, and I must say, your brother Stephen is my favorite Baldwin brother." Stephen Baldwin is a born-again Christian who attended the Republican national convention in 2004. Alec Baldwin ushered her onstage past Fey, where Palin delivered the show's traditional opening: "Live from New York, it's Saturday night."

Palin later appeared alongside Seth Meyers on "Weekend Update," declining to perform a rap song that had been written for her. Amy Poehler "filled in" for Palin as actors dressed as Eskimos, Palin's husband, Todd, and a moose danced across the stage. "All the mavericks in the house, put your hands up," Poehler rapped, as a bopping Palin followed the instructions. "All the plumbers in the house, pull your pants up."

(snip)

Michaels owes Palin a debt of gratitude. "Saturday Night Live" so far this season has been up 76 percent over last year at this time, Nielsen said. Even beyond that, the Fey skits have gone viral over the Internet, drawing more attention to the show. One study last week said only one-third of people who had seen Fey's impersonations did so on live TV; the rest saw them on DVRs or on their computers.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081019/ap_on_en_tv/palin_saturday_night_live

[gatorboy]

1. Outside the Palin stuff and the Whalberg skit, the rest of the show was pretty horrible.

Okay, NARC high school was funny but everything else... Oy. Hope they can find some funny material later on, cause the Palin gravy train is coming to an end.

[4lbs]

2. Yeah, the marriage proposal at the Japanese restaurant skit and the "fartface" one were kind of

excruciating to watch.

The "pregnant bar girl" one with Amy Poehler was ok, especially when Josh Brolin's chair broke underneath him.

[question everything]

3. Agree. Yet, I have not watched SNL since...

Belushi died, I think. When I would try to watch it I found it very infantile. OK, I am an older baby boomer.

But I did start watching it this season, at least the first few minutes and the Weekend Update.

[Indenturedebtor]

8. Oh you missed out on the Sandler/Farley years

For shame :(

[a kennedy]

10. I loved the Dana Carvey years....

he did the first * to perfection....."1000 points of light" Oh yeah, he was the best. :rofl:

[Indenturedebtor]

11. Yeah Carvey was a riot :D Chruch lady was my favorite hehe. n/t

[DS1]

14. Narc School was the only thing amusing about that show

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

4. America is laughing AT her, not WITH her

The Freepers love to cite the debate ratings. People didn't tune in because they love Palin. They watched because they wanted to see Biden humiliate her in the comedy event of the century.

[Aqaba]

5. Umm... Am I the only one to notice that she...

...is bigger now than when she was pregnant?

[StrictlyRockers]

6. Maybe it's conspiratorial thinking, but I am still not entirely convinced that the baby is hers.

There was a lot of fishiness surounding the birh and the pregnancy. It may be Bristol's baby. But I suppose we have to take her at her word.

[orleans]

7. ahem. why would *you* have to take her word for it? i certainly don't. n/t

[timtom]

9. Certainly.

The fact that she refuses to release her medical records should be of no concern to any truth-seeker.

[moondust]

12. Morbid curiosity.

Televised executions would also draw record ratings.

[ailsagirl]

13. Bah... humbug

:puke:

[question everything]

16. Can you say this about a non Christmas event?

:shrug:

[ailsagirl]

19. LOL

[lpbk2713]

15. Viewers tuned in to see if it was possible to make Failin' look like more of a jerk ...

... than she already is. If Michaels could sign her to a contract he probably would.

Some SNL fans liked Norm McDonald because they couldn't figure out if he really was

that dumb. Same case with Failin'.


**

[question everything]

17. LOL, really. How did you do THAT?

The "aim," that is

:rofl:

[bdamomma]

18. I didn't watch SNL or her.

[Ilsa]

20. SNL, Palin, and the Big Punk. nt