‘Saturday Night Live’ ratings: Dave Chappelle – A Tribe Called Quest show a powerhouse

We had a feeling that the “Saturday Night Live” episode from this weekend was going to be huge. How could it not be? We’re talking about a show hosted by a comedy icon in Dave Chappelle, and it really goes even further than that. This was also the first show after the Presidential Election, and there was a natural curiosity in seeing how the show would handle what they had joked about earlier this year as a slam-dunk.

Overall, this show was nothing short of killer. Not only was it at times moving and brilliant (read our full review for it over here), but it also gave NBC its best numbers for an episode in quite some time. It drew a 3.9 rating in the 18-49 demographic, which is more than just the best number of the season; it’s also the show’s best performance since December 2013, which is when Jimmy Fallon hosted with a performance from musical guest Justin Timberlake. You have to go all the way back to January 2012 with Charles Barkley to find a show that performed higher than that, and this episode was boosted heavily by a college football overrun.

The last time that a regular episode of “SNL” scored a better number than this was all the way back in May 2011, which is when Timberlake hosted with musical guest Lady Gaga. We do still remember that show for being particularly funny, which does make us want “SNL” to bring back Justin for another hosting gig soon. It feels like it’s been enough time now that it wouldn’t just seem like desperation on the show’s part.

We do anticipate the numbers going down given that the election is now over; at least NBC did a smart thing in booking Kristen Wiig next week for the Thanksgiving show. That will help to generate as much attention as possible before we sign off until December.

For some other news right now when it comes to “SNL,” head over to the link here! (Photo: NBC.)