Global, like NBC, was also a winner in yesterday’s US election, thanks to the high returns on Saturday Night Live, which has more than doubled its previous season average among Canucks, thanks to appearances by Sarah Palin, John McCain and Tina Fey.

Global averaged nearly 700,000 viewers on Saturday with the episode featuring McCain, who opened the show and also appeared in the Weekend Update segment. The Republican nominee was upstaged by his would-be VP, however, whose highly anticipated Oct. 18 appearance on the long-running sketch show scored 840,000 viewers. Palin was featured alongside SNL vet Tina Fey, whose dead-on Palin impressions have caused a sensation (all numbers 2+).

The show is currently averaging over half a million viewers, compared with the 332,000 that tuned in last fall on Global. A Global spokesperson said the Palin episode is the highest-rated ep since at least 2004, which is as far back as the caster’s data goes.

Global also aired the two-hour special SNL Presidential Bash on Monday. Numbers were not available at presstime.

Meanwhile, the second season premiere of Global drama series The Guard took a hit in the ratings last Wednesday, when it managed just 384,000 viewers, down from the 813,000 that tuned in for its debut in January. The show averaged roughly 500,000 viewers for its first season. The Guard faces tough competition in its 10 pm timeslot from CSI: NY on CTV.

From Playback Daily