NEW YORK AP— The 50th season of Saturday Night Live SNL has kicked off with impressive ratings, breaking records on the streaming service Peacock.
NBC announced that 5.3 million viewers tuned in for the live premiere, marking the highest viewership since 2020 when Alec Baldwin returned as former President Donald Trump, and Chris Rock hosted with musical guest Megan Thee Stallion.
The show featured several former cast members in its opening sketch about the current U.S. presidential race, with Maya Rudolph portraying Kamala Harris and Dana Carvey as President Joe Biden.
According to NBC, this episode is the most-watched SNL on Peacock during its first weekend.
Jean Smart hosted the season premiere, while country artist Jelly Roll provided the musical entertainment.
The opening sketch hinted at an exciting season ahead, featuring alum Andy Samberg as Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, and comedian Jim Gaffigan as Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov.
Tim Walz. Rudolph’s return as Harris was anticipated, but SNL had not officially confirmed it.
The first SNL episode aired on October 11, 1975, under the direction of Lorne Michaels, who continues to lead the show today.
The inaugural host was George Carlin, and the cast included the original Not Ready for Prime Time Players : Chevy Chase, John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd, Jane Curtin, Laraine Newman, and Garrett Morris.
This weekend, comedian Nate Bargatze will host SNL, with Coldplay performing as the musical guest. NBC plans to air a three-hour live celebration of SNL on February 16 to commemorate the anniversary.