Thursday, December 26, 2019
SNL with Eddie Murphy Scores in Ratings; REELZ and Alex Trebek Explore Game Shows

The Dec. 21 edition of Saturday Night Live on NBC, with host Eddie Murphy and musical guest Lizzo, averaged a 2.5 rating in adults 18-49 and 9,921,000 viewers overall, according to "live plus same day" "fast official" ratings from Nielsen Media Research. This is the highest-scoring edition of Saturday Night Live since May 2017 in both measures, best for the show since the May 13, 2017 (season finale) telecast, hosted by Melissa McCarthy with musical guest HAIM, which averaged a 2.7 rating in adults 18-49 and 10,382,000 million viewers overall. The 2.5 rating in 18-49 ties Fox's Masked Singer season premiere on Sept. 25 as the #1 highest-rated entertainment series telecast this season on any network across all dayparts. It's also the highest-rated comedy telecast on any network since CBS' Big Bang Theory series finale on May 16 (3.2 18-49 rating). Versus Saturday Night Live's season averages heading into last night, the Dec. 21 episode is up +98% in 18-49 (2.48 rating vs. 1.25 rating) and +68% in total viewers (9,921,000 vs. 5,916,000 total viewers).
Looking at local markets, SNL on Dec. 21 did big in San Francisco (8:30pm PT, LIVE), with its highest demo rating ever (since SF became an LPM market in 2004), thanks to a local San Francisco 49ers game lead-in on KNTV-NBC. SNL returns with new episodes starting Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020.
Kicking off January on REELZ is Alex Trebek's Game Changers hosted by Alex Trebek which makes its REELZ premiere on Sunday, January 5 at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT. Alex Trebek's Game Changers gives viewers an insightful look at the phenomenon of TV game shows, memorable contestant moments and the hosts we played along with throughout the years including Pat Sajak, Regis Philbin, Howie Mandel, Wink Martindale, Bob Eubanks and Drew Carey. The cultural footprint of TV game shows is undeniable with generations of viewers inviting them and their hosts into their homes to watch contestants risk it all on a single spin or a single question. Legendary Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek explores how the phenomenon of game shows with their iconic hosts, memorable contestants, triumphs and controversies shaped the evolution of what is one of the most beloved, unique and enduring genres in the global television landscape. From the golden age of game shows to their future in a multi-platform world viewers will learn the secret to game show success and go behind the scenes through Trebek's personal conversations with Howie Mandel, Regis Philbin, Pat Sajak, Drew Carey, Wink Martindale and Bob Eubanks. Alex Trebek's Game Changers is produced by Ballinran Entertainment in association with Monkey Time Media.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight
Wednesday, May 25
Tyler Perry's House of Payne - "It Was All A Dream" (BET, 9:00PM ET/PT)
After a much-needed night on the town with his boys and ten too many drinks, Calvin finds himself in a bit of a sticky situation. In a drunken state, he sends sexual text messages to Miranda and invites her over.
Tyler Perry's Assisted Living - "Clean Up Your Act" (BET, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Cora is fed up with the way the residents have been behaving - not cleaning up after themselves, bickering over the television, leaving the toilet seat up, and foul language.
The Ms. Pat Show - "Don't Eat That S..." (BET, 10:00PM ET/PT)
When Junebug gets swindled by a drug dealer, Denise decides to help him get his money back instead of telling Pat and Terry.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of May 23)
Wednesday, May 25
- Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy/American Dad!/The Cleveland Show) - Watch Seth on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Jay Ellis (Insecure/The Game) - Jay appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Jon Hamm (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) - Jon is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Amanda Peet (Brockmire/Togetherness/Bent) - Amanda will be on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
- Jay Pharoah (White Famous) - Jay appears on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Sherri Shepherd (Mr. Iglesias/Trial & Error/Sherri/Less Than Perfect/Suddenly Susan) - Sherri guest hosts The Wendy Williams Show, so check your local listings.
- Nick Jonas (Jonas) - Nick is a guest on The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
- Hayley Orrantia (The Goldbergs) - Hayley talks about The Masked Singer on Reality Check at 4:30pm.
New on DVD/Blu-ray (February-May)
02/08 - Last Man Standing - The Complete Ninth Season
02/22 - Everybody Hates Chris - The Complete Series (2022 Release)
02/22 - Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. - The Complete Series (2022 Release)
03/08 - Brooklyn Nine-Nine - Season Eight
03/08 - Brooklyn Nine-Nine - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
03/15 - Head of the Class - The Complete Fourth Season
03/15 - The Proud Family - The Complete Original Series - Anniversary Collection
03/22 - The Honeymooners Specials - The Complete Collection
03/29 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Seasons 1-5 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
03/29 - Young Rock - Season One
04/05 - Up All Night - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
04/26 - The Danny Thomas Show (aka Make Room for Daddy) - The Complete Fourth Season
04/26 - Jackie Gleason TV Treasures - 70th Anniversary Collection (including Honeymooners Rarities)
05/03 - No Activity - Season Three
05/31 - Becker - The Complete Series (2022 Release)
More TV DVD Releases / DVD Reviews Archive / SitcomsOnline Digest
Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts