The first new “Saturday Night Live” episode generates endless media coverage.
This year, Legacy Media breathlessly reported on the show’s major cast changes for weeks on end. Plus, “SNL” plucked anti-ICE singer Bad Bunny to host, generating even more free publicity.
Much of the latter proved negative, at least from conservative media, but all publicity is good publicity, right?
Right?
“SNL” delivered a 4.4 ratings tally for Oct. 4’s season debut. For context, last year’s opener drew 5.38 with “Hacks” star Jean Smart. That’s a 24 percent drop, according to LateNighter.com.
Smart is a talented comic actress, but her HBO Max show is a niche hit, at best. Sadly, she doesn’t rule the zeitgeist like Bad Bunny does today.
Maybe choosing a wildly alienating star to kick off season 51 wasn’t the best move for NBC. That suggests Bad Bunny’s upcoming Super Bowl halftime performance could also underperform.
Or not.
That game can sustain almost any publicity hit and still draw massive ratings. It’s the one television event that keeps drawing old-school ratings numbers.
But what does this mean for “SNL?”
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The veteran showcase once again pummeled President Donald Trump while ignoring so many stories that might negatively reflect the progressive agenda. Naturally, none of these skits came to fruition.
It’s like late-night TV, but on Saturday. And that comparison matters.
Late-night shows have chased away roughly half the country with their hard-Left, hateful content. Not “good riddance” but “riddance,” as late-night liar Jimmy Kimmel famously said.
“SNL” has clung to some of that audience, either through brand loyalty or a curiosity factor. That has kept its ratings afloat, by and large.
What if that’s changing?
It’s just one episode, but given the season premiere angle and the buzzy host, it suggests “SNL” may be in for a rough season … unless it rediscovers why the show mattered in the first place.
Funny. Irreverent. Unpredictable.
Without those core elements, “SNL” is just another clapter machine.
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