After 46, the late night skit and pop culture incubator Saturday Night Live won a contest that would have been inconceivable when it launched in 1974: it crossed the finish line this season as the number one entertainment show in the key 18- to 49-year-old demographic, according to Hollywood journalist. SNL didn’t just win the late night award, he won it for all non-sporting entertainment on advertising-supported television.
The show averaged a rating of 2.06, exceeding The masked singer and It’s us. The second rank comedy, Young Sheldon, was far behind with a score of 1.2. SNL had 9 million viewers per episode in Live + 7 ratings, which is a delay in viewing via DVR in a week. It also had 1.6 billion views on YouTube and the most new social media channel subscribers of any other late-night program.
Susan rovner, the president of entertainment content at NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, praised the workaholic program, saying that “one of the greatest gifts of this role is being able to watch the SNL the team does what they do every week, while keeping the show as strong and vibrant as ever.
What does this mean, exactly? Does the public crave more than Elon musk say “better”? Well, not exactly, but as entertainment becomes more niche-driven and attention is drawn to apps and social media, there isn’t much else to the lineup. American television which casts such a wide net on the zeitgeist, and is as sure to lead a conversation the next day as SNL, although there are only four years left before AARP eligibility.
The 2020 election also did not harm the Jim carrey skydive to play Joe biden contrary Alec baldwin aggression like Donald trump.
Much like the show is on top, however, there is more than the usual rumblings about who will return next season. As proof of possible departures, some pointed to the start of this year’s final episode, which put many longtime favorites in the limelight, including Kenan thompson, Kate mckinnon, Aidy bryant, and Cecily strong, for an unusually moving “look at the year”. (Okay, it was an intensely weird year.) Pierre Davidson also concluded his Weekend update segment saying, “I’m so grateful to be here, and it’s been an honor growing up in front of you guys.”
It remains to be seen if Saturday Night Live will attempt to maintain its prominence with a stable of new faces.
Where to look SNL:
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