Palin's SNL Rating Soars

Cameo-driven late-night episode watched by 14 million, reports say; late-night show's biggest audience in 14 years

Was it big? You betcha.

Sarah Palin's much-anticipated Saturday Night Live appearance averaged an estimated 14 million viewers, the late-night show's biggest performance since the Clinton Adminstration.

If the numbers hold, there were about as SNL viewers as there were SNL cameos—by Alec Baldwin, Mark Wahlberg, Tina Fey (as Palin), and, of course, Palin (as Palin).

NBC said SNL enjoyed its best numbers since a post-knee-clubbed Nancy Kerrigan hosted in 1994.

Palin's appearance came after Fey spoofed the Alaskan governor and Republican veep contender on three earlier SNL shows.

• Check out the Palin SNL sketches

(Originally published Oct. 19, 2008, at 12:39 p.m. PT.)