Image Credit: NBCBetty White’s appearance on Saturday Night Live was truly golden: Last night’s edition posted its highest overnight ratings in 18 months. The telecast featuring White and musical guest Jay-Z averaged an 8.8 rating/21 share among 56 local markets tracked by Nielsen. That’s a high for the series since Nov. 1, 2008, when Ben Affleck hosted and Republican Presidential nominee John McCain appeared alongside Tina Fey as Gov. Sarah Palin. 
 
 In 25 markets with local people meters, last night’s edition averaged a 5.1/20 share among adults 18-49 – another high since the Nov. 1 telecast. 
 
 Not surprisingly, last night’s SNL was No. 1 for the night, topping all primetime programs on all major networks. In homes, SNL doubled the No. 1 telecast in primetime, which was ABC’s coverage of the NBA Playoffs (a 4.4/8 in metered markets). Versus the same night last year, SNL was up 66 percent in metered-market households. Besides White, last night’s edition also featured appearances by SNL alums Rachel Dratch, Fey, Ana Gasteyer, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph and Molly Shannon. 
 
 Final ratings, including viewer totals, for last night are due from Nielsen on Thursday. ||||| It’s official: NBC has picked up a primetime version of , which will have a four-week run during the show’s summer hiatus beginning Thursday, August 10 at 9 PM. 
 
 The half-hour telecast will feature Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che, with additional SNL cast members also set to make appearances. 
 
 Talks about a potential primetime installment of Weekend Update started several weeks ago amidst a ratings resurgence for the late-night staple which, since the Donald Trump inauguration, has been ranking among the top programs of the week in adults 18-49, beating primetime competition, with its best ratings in decades. 
 
 “SNL is having its best season in a quarter of a century — how many shows can say that?! — so we didn’t want them to take the summer off,” said Robert Greenblatt, Chairman, NBC Entertainment. “We’re thrilled to have Colin Jost and Michael Che continuing their unique brand of news with fresh Weekend Update shows in primetime this August.” 
 
 So far this season, Saturday Night Live originals are averaging a 3.57 rating in adults 18-49 and 11.022 million viewers overall in Live+7. This makes it the show’s top-rated season at this point in eight years in 18-49 (since 2008-09) and most-watched season in 24 years (since 1992-93). Versus year-ago averages, SNL is up +21% in adult 18-49 rating and up 2.2 million persons or +26% in total viewers. 
 
 NBC previously brought Weekend Update to primetime in October 2008, when Seth Meyers and Amy Poehler hosted Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday in the weeks leading up to the Presidential election between Barack Obama and John McCain. It returned for an additional six episodes in 2009, followed by a brief comeback in September 2012.
– With Betty White hosting, Saturday Night Live drew its best ratings of the season and the largest audience since Nov. 1, 2008, when John McCain appeared with the Tina Fey version of then-running mate Sarah Palin. The broadcast thrashed not just its time-slot competitors but also every primetime show, reports Entertainment Weekly. Your move, Alec Baldwin.