Tom Hanks-Hosted SNL Scores Season High Ratings in Key Demos

The Oct. 22 edition of "Saturday Night Live" has delivered season-high ratings in both metered-market households and adults 18-49 in the local people meters, scoring its best results for any October telecast in eight years.

Last night's "Saturday Night Live," with host Tom Hanks and musical guest Lady Gaga, generated a 6.1 rating, 15 share in "live plus same day" household results from the 56 local markets metered by Nielsen Media Research and a 3.0/14 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

These are the show's highest ratings so far this season, topping the previous highs set with the season premiere on Oct. 1 (5.8/15 in metered-market households, 2.7/14 in 18-49 in the local people meters).

For an October edition, they're the highest "Saturday Night Live" overnights since Oct. 25, 2008 (7.1/16 in metered-market households, 4.0 rating in 18-49 in the local people meters with host Jon Hamm and musical guest Coldplay).

Last night's telecast is up +45% versus the show's October 2015 average for originals in metered-market households (6.1 vs. 4.2) and up +50% in 18-49 in the local people meters (3.0 vs. 2.0 for October 2015).

Counting all "Saturday Night Live" telecasts, it's the top-rated in metered-market households since Nov. 7, 2015 and highest in 18-49 in the local people meters since Dec. 21, 2013.

National ratings, including viewer totals, for last night's "Saturday Night Live" are due from Nielsen on Tuesday.

Note that "SNL" adds significant viewership via time-shifting, with the Oct. 1 season premiere, hosted by Margot Robbie and featuring musical guest The Weeknd, growing by +3.897 million viewers overall going from "live plus same day" to "live plus seven day" official-national Nielsens (8.297 million to 12.194 million) and by +64% in national adult 18-49 rating (2.34 to 3.84). That made it the most-watched "SNL" season debut in 22 years (since Sept. 24, 1994, 12.201 viewers with host Steve Martin and musical guest Eric Clapton) and highest-rated in 18-49 since 2008 (4.94).

This year's Week 2 "Saturday Night Live" on Oct. 8 with host Lin-Manuel Miranda and musical guest Twenty One Pilots averaged a 5.2/13 in metered-market households and a 2.4/12 in 18-49 in the local people meters, while the season's third telecast on Oct. 15, with host Emily Blunt and musical guest Bruno Mars, generated a 5.0/12 in metered-market households and a 2.3/12 in 18-49 in the local people meters.

Image courtesy of NBC