Amy Schumer Boosts 'SNL' to 2-Months Ratings High

Saturday Night Live hit its highest ratings in over a month this week with host Amy Schumer and [...]

By Michael Hein

Saturday Night Live hit its highest ratings in over a month this week with host Amy Schumer and musical guest Kacey Musgraves.

Schumer led the sketch comedy show to a 4.3 rating in the key demographic of adults 18-49, according to a report by Deadline. The show got a 10 share in "live plus same day" household results in the 56 local markets, and will undoubtedly pull in more as people watch the show on streaming services throughout the week.

Overall, SNL dominated the night as the number one show on the Big 4 networks. It beat out all other primetime programming, even on the West Coast where it was aired live at 8:30 p.m. The show was then replayed at its usual time of 11:30 p.m. that night.

Schumer, who has helmed her own sketch comedy show since 2013, led the show in a number of self-aware and topical bits. Her performance pulled in the highest numbers since April 7, when the show was hosted by Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman with musical guest Cardi B.

In last week's episode, Donald Glover was both the host and the musical guest under his moniker Childish Gambino. While it couldn't match Schumer's numbers, it did launch his now viral music video for "This Is America." That show had a star-studded cold open, including Ben Stiller, Martin Short, Jimmy Fallon, Scarlett Johansson, Alec Baldwin and Stormy Daniels.

This week, the show seemed to mock itself for being hyper-political. In the cold open, many cast members introduced their mothers on screen, while each one in turn complained that there were too many jokes about President Donald Trump. That persisted throughout the episode, as the show appeared to take a break from politics and focus on the Mother's Day theme more intently.

Schumer's own show, Inside Amy Schumer, last aired new episodes in the spring of 2016. The show was never officially cancelled, and Schumer has stated that it will return eventually. However, the comedian is focused on touring and making movies at the moment, and says that there will be no fifth season in the foreseeable future.

SNL is fast-approaching its season finale, which will be hosted by Tina Fey with musical guest Nicki Minaj. Airing this Saturday, the episode promises to be a big night for cameos, guest appearances and, in all likelihood, political satire. Fey left SNL in 2006, but she has returned often for guest appearances. In the recent whirlwind of recent TV cancellations, it was announced that her Netflix comedy Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt will end after this coming season.

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