NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” is officially over-the-hill — so what do you get the sketch comedy show that has everything for its 40th birthday? Based on TheWrap‘s study of the NBC staple’s historical Nielsen numbers, we’re willing to bet that Lorne Michaels would gladly take better ratings.
“SNL” hit its high note from an eyeball-measuring perspective during the 1978-1979 season — the sketch comedy show’s fifth run — which averaged a 13.5 household rating. Today, the show gets roughly one-third of that gaudy number, even counting the time-shifted viewing that didn’t exist for about 30 years of its existence.
The early seasons’ “Not Ready for Primetime Players” grew the show’s ratings steadily through each of the five years ending the 1970’s, but experienced a big drop when the ’80s hit and the gang broke up. By the generally accepted death of disco, Chevy Chase was long gone, and Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi were New York City memories. Each of the three key players departed for the greener pastures of Hollywood.
They wouldn’t be the last to leave in a Manifest Destiny-esque trip out west to try and turn TV silver into Los Angeles gold: Bill Murray, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman, Gilda Radner, Tom Davis, Al Franken and many other key members departed in 1980, crippling the program temporarily. Since then, the show’s decline has been steady, though with some ebbs and flows along the way.
That said, it is important to note that changing viewing habits overall play a role in the general decline of TV ratings throughout the decade, and “SNL” is no exception. Another piece of TheWrap‘s below chart that bears explanation: Numbers from the key 18-49 demographic were not available until the 1987-1988 season. These won’t be the last qualifiers.
Lorne Michaels‘ iconic 90-minute TV show is currently in its landmark 40th season — an accomplishment that will be celebrated on Sunday with the three-hour “SNL 40” special. While there will be a red carpet and an estimated 200 celebrities, one thing that is unlikely to be toasted over is the show’s current ratings.
According to Nielsen’s “most current” metric, which includes Live + 7 Day numbers where available, as you read this, “Saturday Night Live” is experiencing its lowest-rated season ever in the main demo. And it’s not that close either, with the season-to-date 2.7 average falling a full three-tenths of a ratings point beneath 2006-2007’s and 2007-2008’s 3.0 averages.
That said, in the household “most current” rating, the present-time 40th season actually matches 2006-2007 — each with a 4.6 — and 2007-2008 would be the lowest-rated year, averaging a 4.5. Plus, the season isn’t over yet, and theoretically “SNL 40” could spark a ratings resurgence of sorts.
But here’s another asterisk that comes from the mid-2000’s: Nielsen didn’t start counting time-shifted viewing until Dec. 26, 2005, so there was no such thing as Live + 7 Day or “most current” until then, skewing results around that time of early DVR adoption.
Let’s rewind a bit again for another highlight: For those who remember the early-mid ’90s as “SNL’s” “Golden Years,” the ratings sort of reflect that. For the years available, 1992-1993 hit a high in the available key demo, with a 7.1 rating. That year also had the most average viewers from the data set, with 12.7 million. These were the years of Chris Rock, Dana Carvey, Kevin Nealon, Phil Hartman, Chris Farley, David Spade, Adam Sandler and Tim Meadows, among others.
Perhaps not surprisingly, the lowest average viewer total came during the aforementioned 2007-2008 season, with the prior two TV years only slightly higher.
But enough words — look at the graphic below, which only counts original episodes:
'SNL's' 40 Most Hilarious Sketches (Photos)
CHIPPENDALES Chris Farley's memorable moments on "SNL" are endless, but his abs-meet-flab male revue with Patrick Swayze is immortal.
THE BEYGENCY Beyonce's following, the "Beyhive," is not one to be messed with. Take the risk and face disappearance.
OPERA MAN Adam Sandler was always entertaining as this Pavarotti parody, but his Eddie Vedder impression, following Pearl Jam's rise to the top of the Billboard chart, hit a whole new octave.
LAZY SUNDAY Andy Samberg and Chris Parnell could have given the Beastie Boys a run for their money with this rap that hits hard on cupcakes and Matthew Perry.
MATT FOLEY, MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER "SNL's" gems involve more than just memorable characters -- there are also those moments when the cast can't keep it together. David Spade and Christina Applegate know that thanks to the iconic Foley.
THE CALIFORNIANS On this send-up of an entire state, Kristen Wiig (Karina) and Bill Hader (Devin) giggle over Fred Armisen's (Stuart) mocking California accent when he catches the pair locking lips. Classic.
MR. ROBINSON'S NEIGHBORHOOD If only Mr. Rogers had Eddie Murphy for a neighbor. The comedian sent the audience into a laughing fit after his infidelity bore him a brand new baby boy.
JUSTIN BIEBER FOR CALVIN KLEIN A relatively new entry, Kate McKinnon's spoof of the singer's underwear campaign is bound to earn an official spot in "SNL's" hilarious history.
WAYNE'S WORLD Rock on, Wayne and Garth. And so they did, with Aerosmith. The band kept their composure, but Garth's silent freak-outs were perfect.
"DELICIOUS DISH" Ana Gasteyer and Molly Shannon's calm sexual innuendos about Alec Baldwin's "Schweddy Balls" on NPR never get old.
SUNSEEKER YACHTS Ex-porn stars promoting yachts with Captain Jack Swallow (James Franco) and James Franco (Seth Rogen)? Enough said.
THE LOVE-AHS Jimmy Fallon was notorious for breaking character, but he wasn't alone in this sketch, as Will Ferrell, Rachel Dratch and Drew Barrymore barely hold it together in a hotel hot tub.
THE FESTRUNK BROTHERS Steve Martin and Dan Aykroyd can hold their own, but are ridiculously entertaining as "two wild and crazy guys" on the hunt for ladies. Note the Jim Belushi appearance.
WHITE LIKE ME Many considered Eddie Murphy's undercover sketch not only comedic, but a game changer touching on race issues.
WEEKEND UPDATE GUEST BENNETT BRAUER Chris Farley's "I have a weight problem" line is a historic flub. And Kevin Nealon's reaction while trying to free his wires is even better.
DEBATE '76 This sketch was great, particularly for Gerald Ford's (Chevy Chase) fall at the end with Jimmy Carter (Dan Aykroyd) rolling on top of him.
TOTAL BASTARD AIRLINES Flight attendants David Spade and Helen Hunt made it OK to tell people "Buh-bye" and not mean it. To you both, thank you.
HAPPY FUN BALL This commercial remains a hilarious send-up of unscrupulous manufacturers who will put anything in a product. And Phil Hartman's voiceover is the perfect touch.
MARK WAHLBERG TALKS TO ANIMALS Andy Samberg mimicks the "Boogie Nights" actor's mannerisms and voice perfectly as he tells barnyard beasts to "say 'hi' ta ya' mutha' fuh me."
STAR WARS AUDITIONS This is the perfect dose of comedy, especially with Kevin Spacey impersonating Christopher Walken, Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon.
JEOPARDY Will Ferrell offered his take on host Alex Trebek numerous times, but his adversarial back-and-forth with Darrell Hammond's clueless, lecherous Sean Connery combined with Norm MacDonald's juvenile Burt Reynolds provided the segments' deepest belly laughs.
DICK IN A BOX Andy Samberg. Justin Timberlake. Two dicks. Two boxes. Two dicks in boxes. And thus a legend was born.
KERRY WASHINGTON'S COLD OPEN With a growing chorus of voices clamoring about a lack of diversity on "SNL's" cast, the show did the only thing it could (besides diversify its cast, of course): It made, uh, light of the situation. "Scandal" star Kerry Washington did double duty, single-handedly playing First Lady Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey in the space of two minutes.
TWO A-HOLES Jason Sudeikis and Kristen Wiig's recurring portrayal as a pair of vapid, airheaded, arrogant human canker sores would probably be even funnier if we didn't actually run into people just like this All. The. Time.
CONSUMER PROBE Dan Aykroyd as sleazy toymaker Irwin Mainway, who peddled such decidedly unsafe children's products as "Bag O' Glass," "Mr. Skin Grafter" and "Doggy Dentist," was a dark-hearted delight. And some would say a precursor for modern business practices.
COLON BLOW Long before colon cleanses became a trendy weight-loss technique, "Saturday Night Live" conceived of the perfect breakfast cereal to help you clear your pipes.
DEBBIE DOWNER Afraid that your next party might suffer from too much joviality? Make sure to put Debbie Downer on your guest list; she'll keep things somber with her turd-in-the-punchbowl conversational technique.
CHURCH CHAT Dana Carvey's pinch-faced, perpetually judgmental Church Lady was the perfect reminder for "SNL" viewers that Sunday was just around the corner. The installment featuring Justin Bieber was a highlight, if only because he might just actually be a product of Satan.
KING TUT Steve Martin, who plays a pretty mean banjo when he's not cracking up the population, also showed off his singing and dancing skills in this entry in the canon of "SNL" musical sketches.
WILLIAM SHATNER TRASHES TREKKIES Long before he made a joke of himself as a beloved Priceline shill, William Shatner mocked his Star Trek fame. Or at least Star Trek fans. Watching Shatner tell the nerdy assemblage at a Star Trek convention to "Get a life!" was out of this world.
BEHIND THE MUSIC (MORE COWBELL) A shirt many sizes too small and a zealous passion for precision timekeeping made Will Ferrell a delight as Gene, the utterly essential cowbell player for Blue Oyster Cult. Is there anything that more cowbell can't cure?
THE CHRIS FARLEY SHOW Chris Farley as a super-awkward, terminally unsure-of-himself talk-show host was a revelation, especially since Farley was typically so outgoing. His interview with Paul McCartney, during which he asked the former Beatle if rumors of his death in the '60s were a hoax, was a treat.
THE FRENCH CHEF Dan Aykroyd delivered some bloody good laughs as culinary institution Julia Child, who gets so wrapped up in extolling the many uses of liver that she cuts her finger, resulting in a kitchen that looks like a mass-murder crime scene.
UNFROZEN CAVEMAN LAWYER Yes, he was just a caveman, thrust into the modern world to practice defense and personal injury law. But Keyrock -- as portrayed by the late, great Phil Hartman -- provided plenty of laughs.
THE SINATRA GROUP Hartman played Ol' Blue Eyes as the no-nonsense, old-school host of "an unrehearsed discussion of current issues in the recording industry," berating young bucks such as Billy Idol, Luther Campbell and Sinead O'Connor -- or, as Hartman/Sinatra variously refers to her, Shine-Ade, Sinbad and Cueball.
SAMURAI DELICATESSEN John Belushi definitely made the cut as a deli employee with a particularly brutal method for slicing lunch meat.
CONEHEADS FAMILY FEUD These oblong aliens appeared on any number of skits during the early days of "Saturday Night Live," but watching Dan Aykroyd and his space-alien crew on this game-show staple was particularly delightful.
THE BLUES BROTHERS Not so much a comedy skit, just two very funny guys (John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd) with a crackerjack backup band paying homage to some classic tunes. And it was magnificent.
NICK THE LOUNGE SINGER Another example of an "SNL" cast member flexing his musical chops -- and this time it was definitely for comic effect. Bill Murray brought a double dose of schmaltz as he belted out the hits of the day, including the "Star Wars" theme as you'd never heard it before.
WORD ASSOCIATION Chevy Chase and Richard Pryor square off in a skit that uses a job interview to explore America's racial tensions with a candor that you won't be seeing on network TV again, late-night or otherwise.
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From Chris Farley and Patrick Swayze’s Chippendales spoof to the Beygency, TheWrap looks back at the NBC sketch show’s most laugh-inducing moments
CHIPPENDALES Chris Farley's memorable moments on "SNL" are endless, but his abs-meet-flab male revue with Patrick Swayze is immortal.
