Palin draws big ratings for 'Saturday Night Live'

Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin leaves NBC studios Sunday, Oct. 19, 2008 after an appearance on "Saturday Night Live," in New York. (AP Photo/David Karp)

59 minutes ago


NEW YORK (AP) — Sarah Palin was a big hit on "Saturday Night Live." NBC scored its highest ratings for the late-night show in 14 years, in an estimate based on the nation's biggest media markets. Nothing has done better since skater Nancy Kerrigan visited after her Olympics drama with Tonya Harding in 1994.


Palin played along as Tina Fey gave another impersonation of the Alaska governor.


Nielsen Media Research won't have a complete count of Saturday's audience until later in the week. It will likely be around 14 million people — and 17 million for the first half hour, when the opening skit happened.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hw7ywJw6xkvlPRxSINVIWAMIq9NAD93TOBAG1











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Sarah Palin: 'Hotter in person' (Baldwin)

Alaska governor does Saturday Night Live with Alec Baldwin, Mark Wahlberg.

Posted October 18, 2008 11:45 PM

Sarah Palin waves from the back of a car as she arrives for an appearance on "Saturday Night Live," (AP Photo/David Karp)
by Mark Silva

It's Saturday Night in New York and Tina Fey is making room for Sarah Palin: The show opens with a simulated C-Span- broadcast press conference, the first official press conference with Sarah Palin, it seems.
Gov. Sarah Palin (Fey).

Fey, really happy to be in front of "the liberal elite media,'' says, "The American people are angry, and John McCain is angry, too... that Barack Obama, if he's angry, I can't tell...(He speaks so well, like an angel whispering in your ear, she says.) "He makes John McCain sound like a garbage truck emptying trash at a landfill.''

As she shifts into some "fancy pageant walking,'' Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels, off-stage, is pictured with the real Sarah Palin, and Mark Wahlberg, talk about cameos.

"He didn't like the impression we did of him on the show,'' Michaels says of Wahlberg. "Tell me about it,'' Palin says.

On walks Alec Baldwin: "What do they call that woman?

"Caribou Barbie,'' Palin says.

"Alec, this is Gov. Palin,'' Michaels says.

Baldwin to Palin: "Forgive me, I must say this, you are much hotter in person... I can't believe they let her play you.''

Then Baldwin arrives on Fey's set, and replaces her with Palin. Same red suit, same swept back hair, fashion eyeglasses.

"I'm not going to take any of your questions,'' the governor of Alaska and Republican nominee for vice president tells the SNL presser. "But I do want to take this opportunity to say, 'Live from New York,

it's SATURDAY NIGHT!!!''

http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/10/sarah_palin_hotter_in_person_b.html

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Sarah Palin on SNL,You Betcha........

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican candidate for vice president and comic foil of choice for every late-night talk-show host in the land, will appear on NBC's " Saturday Night Live,", the McCain campaign confirmed Friday.

What she'll say (or do) remains shrouded in late-night secrecy - no surprise there because even "SNL" declined to confirm the engagement.But here's one safe and educated guess: her comic doppelganger, Tina Fey, will play some role in this highly anticipated appearance. Josh Brolin, star of the Oliver Stone-directed Bush-basher "W.," is guest host.Palin has said she even wanted to impersonate Fey herself, though what that performance might entail is best left to reader imaginations.

During a campaign function last week, Palin spoke to reporters, and of Fey - whose Palin impression is already an "SNL" classic - she said, "I love her, she's a hoot, and she's so talented. It would be fun to meet her, imitate her and keep on giving her new material."Sen. John McCain, during his Thursday appearance on "Late Night with David Letterman," said he believed Palin would appear on "SNL" but didn't offer a date. Jill Hazelbaker, a campaign spokeswoman, said Friday that Palin will appear on the Oct. 18 edition, but offered no further details.Meanwhile, Letterman got his biggest audience in nearly three years with McCain's appearance. Nielsen Media Research says 6.5 million viewers watched, nearly 3 million more than Letterman typically gets.

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-etpali189610750oct18,0,3386104.story

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Palin on SNL? It's a Done Deal, NY Post Reports

According to The New York Post, the Republican running mate has sealed plans to appear on "Saturday Night Live" on Oct. 25. Palin's dress rehearsal is already set for Friday, Oct. 24, the paper reports.

But if Palin is readying her best Tina Fey impression, nobody close to her is giving any hints.

Neither the campaign nor NBC would confirm the report when asked by FOX News.

Palin was asked Tuesday by reporters whether she wanted to give Fey, who has parodied Palin -- some say impeccably -- on the late-night comedy show ever since she was tapped as the Republican vice presidential nominee, a "taste of her own medicine." She seemed to relish the thought.

"I would love to," Palin said, laughing. "I love her. She's a hoot and she's so talented and it would be fun to either imitate her or keep on giving her more material and keep her in business."

FOX News' Shushannah Walshe contributed to this report.

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