Eddie Murphy’s SNL Hits an 11-Year Audience High With DVR Playback, Best Since Sarah Palin’s 2008 Visit
It’s an extra-beautiful day in Mister Robinson’s neighborhood, now that the latest ratings for Eddie Murphy‘s celebrated Saturday Night Live return are in.
Hosting SNL for the first time in 35 years, Murphy’s callback-filled episode amassed 16.3 million total viewers with Live+7 DVR playback factored in — marking the long-running sketch series’ largest audience since Oct. 18, 2008, when Josh Brolin hosted with musical guest Adele and the real Sarah Palin stopped by during a season in which Tina “I Can See Russia From My House!” Fey was lampooning the VP pick on the regular. (That outing drew 16.84 million, which at the time set a 14-year high.) [pmc_inline_gallery]
Murphy’s audience increase of 6.3 million viewers with Live+7 playback represents the largest such gain for any broadcast-TV program since the Nov. 5, 2018 Manifest added just shy of 7 million.
In the 18-49 demo, Murphy’s SNL return swelled 1.87 ratings points — the biggest such lift on any network since the Nov. 20, 2018 This Is Us grew by just over two points — to a 34-month high of 4.37, with Live+7 DVR playback factored in.
TVLine gave veteran cast member Murphy’s return an average grade of “A+,” landing it atop readers’ ranking of Season 45’s episodes thus far.
Compared to SNL’s season-to-date L+7 averages, the Dec. 21 episode was up 112 percent and up 91 percent in total audience.
SNL returns on Saturday, Jan. 25, with host Adam Driver and musical guest Halsey.
Not surprised. Eddie is the man. Even I watched and I never ever watch SNL.
It really wasn’t that great of an episode. Kind of boring. He messed up a lot. Only good sketch was the one that got cut with Aidy Bryant.
Well, this is fundamentally incorrect.
You needed to get a new sense of humor for Xmas, Phillip…ask again next year!
Phillip – you need to go watch sponge bob. This was classic snl – it was funny. You probably are a millennial since rarely any of your generation know what comedy is – maybe you need another tide pod.
I love how fearless Eddie is reprising Hilarious past characters so many Would consider politically incorrect today. True comedy for those not looking for something to be offended by. We loved him then and we love him now. Show them how its done and help put an end to the cancel culture.
Yeah, no…he was on CBS News this weekend talking about how he watches Delirious and cringes at his politically incorrect jokes of the past.
If you dont toe the political line today, you “won’t work in this town again.” Murphy has a solid body of work that was edgy. But he is old and edge means little to the work he will do now. Raw Eddie becomes Dr Doolittle. I wish Tyler Perry and Medea would move in next to the Klumps and throw down…in some truly weird chit.
Sunny, he was discussing specific gags he did when taking about gay men. He didn’t wrap the whole delirious skit from 83 as cringe worthy. Yours is fake news.
Love SNL always…
MURPHY is such a super talent it was a great show with Lizzo too.
Eddie being on SNL was the ONLY reason I watched it, SNL has suck longer then I’ve been alive and I never would have even considered watching this politically correct bunghole unless Eddie Murphy was going to be on it in a big way. If Eddied becomes a regular I continue watching it, if not, than this is the only time I’ll be watching SNL
Remember the criminals just elected a DA in Philly. You would expect crime to jump. Sadly San Francisco did the same this year. The DA in SF was captured by the criminals that have a major say in city affairs. The Democrat cities used to be our killing centers because of their uncaring attitude for others. Now they have let the criminals in charge. This has just begun.
WHAT in the hell doees this have to do with this article. Go post your tinfoil hat nonsense in an appropriate forum.
The truth hurts. Instead of providing a rebuttal, you offered an ad hominem attack. That reveals a great deal about you
dlethe – agreed!
Demunists cannot handle nor understand truth
Still didn’t answe the question. What has this got to do with SNL? This isn’t the forum for it and the fact you have to carry on about it here says a lot about you.
The truth that Pamela is posting tin foil hat nonsense in an article about Eddie Murphy?
Eddie and his humor was a change of pace for SNL. For three long years now they have done anti-Trump stuff which is usually boring and more hateful than funny. Their recent coverage of the Democrat debate has been funny. Try to be funny again, not another leftwing political hate group.
I haven’t walched SNL since the 70’s, I didn’t watch this show. With that being said I can understand their viewership jump easily. Eddie Murphy’s funny. SNL stopped being funny decades ago. Nuf said.
Well. Ask a squash to be a cucumber, nothing will change… if they forget their bias and hate the producers will cancel their skit…
I TiVo SNL religiously, but pretty much only look at the cold opener and Weekend Update segments. Overall they have gone from ribbing politicians on both sides with good-natured humor to a malicious anti-Trump obsession which makes even a #NeverTrump voter like me cringe. The only way to make the show routinely watchable would be to return to a measure of fair play, which I do not believe the current ensemble capable of.
So this means they had ten morons watching instead of the usual five.
It meant that those of us who dumped SNl and their anti-Republican ideology came back to enjoy comedy the way it was supposed to be, just the way we remembered back in the 80’s.
This all makes sense – since Eddie is the only funny person to perform on the show in the past 11 years.
I don’t like SNL but I watched the Eddie Murphy but based on a recommendation. I was appalled. The routine was insulting, demeaning and degrading. And the left likes it! I guess that sums up the Left wing psyche!
No, the left was insulted. Those of us on the right enjoyed the street humor outside their political rhetoric. It was funny, and a breath of fresh air when compared to the sludge they have put out there for the past many years. Don’t be like the left and close your mind – think outside the box. The left can’t do that due to their limited analytical thought capacity.
word got out the next day he stayed apolitical,NO TRUMP BASHING …..7 million people then downloaded it
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Yep, Eddie was great and the show had funny moments. Now Eddie is gone and SNL will revert to an unwatchable anti-Trump boring non-funny 90 minute diatribe.
Good numbers for a show that was pretty mediocre. ‘Black Jeopardy’ and the baking thing weren’t funny. The rest just rehashes.
I don’t know why this is so surprising. In stark contrast to the standard fare since he last hosted, Murphy is actually funny.
Adam Sandler’s episode also did well, people tuned in to be reminded what the show use to be, the current cast is unwatchable.
So every 11 or 14 years SNL puts on a good show. Got it!
No one can save that show. The writers are bitter, angry, disappointed and worst of all…not funny.
“11-Year Audience High” From .0001 to .0002?
Maybe…just maybe, the Trump-deranged liberals over at SNL will finally figure out that the reason nobody watches their show anymore is because people want FUNNY…not CNN !! Don’t hold your breath on it though…liberals have no ability to control themselves.
Because outside the cold opening, they stayed away from politics!
Tired of the Trump bashing as it’s turned into whining and tired of Baldwin. Glad to see old school humor return to the show.
Keep Murphy and DUMP THE TRUMP HATERS!
Send them all to the unemployment line and join the ranks of the other washed up freaks.
And then watch your audience grow…