First post-strike episode grabs strong ratings

The TV-watching public appears to have missed "Saturday Night Live" during the writers' strike, because its return on Saturday produced strong ratings.

The late-night comedy show, which was sidelined for the duration of the strike, came back Saturday (Feb. 23) to its best overnight ratings in two years. "SNL" scored a 6.1 rating/15 share in Nielsen's 55 metered markets, better than any show on television, primetime or late-night, on Saturday. Former head writer and current "30 Rock" star Tina Fey hosted; Carrie Underwood was the musical guest.

The metered-market rating -- final figures won't be available until later in the week -- was "Saturday Night Live's" best in two years, since a February 2006 episode featuring Steve Martin and Prince (Martin also made an appearance this week, during Fey's monologue). It also bested the average for the show's handful of pre-strike episodes by 36 percent.

Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee also made an appearance on the show, stopping by "Weekend Update" to explain why he hasn't yet dropped out of the Republican race despite being mathematically eliminated. The episode also featured cast member Fred Armisen playing Democratic candidate Barack Obama, Bill Hader aping Daniel Day-Lewis in "There Will Be Blood" and a sketch taking aim at NBC's reality-heavy midseason schedule.

Saturday's telecast was the first of four straight new shows for "Saturday Night Live"; "Juno" star Ellen Page and Wilco are on tap for this week.