No one expected big ratings from “Saturday Night Live” this past weekend. And that’s what came to pass.
It was an all Brit night, with Josh O’Connor and Lily Allen. He’s the star of “Knives Out: Wake Up Dead Man” and several movies. She’s a singer with a new album all about her divorce from “Stranger Things” star David Harbour.
All together, not a blockbuster coupling for audience draw. Total viewers fell below 4 million, from 4.3 mil to 3.9. Even a cameo from Dakota Johnson didn’t give the show a lift in later time zones.
Still, it was a solidly entertaining episode, so that’s something.
This weekend will make up for it, with “Wicked” star Ariana Grande hosting, and the GOAT Cher making her first appearance on “SNL” since 1847. If they sing together, the top will blow off of 30 Rock.
As for O’Connor, here’s a little bit of trivia I did not know: his aunt, Madeleine Bunting, a highly regarded British journalist, was once married to someone with a last name you might recognize. It’s Wintour, first name Patrick, as in brother of Vogue empress Anna Wintour.
Madeleine and Patrick divorced after 11 years, when Josh was 11. But for that decade, he could have been calling Patrick “uncle,” and Anna “auntie” by extension. And still, he’s a success today, which Anna no doubt appreciates retroactively. He does get a lot of good press — deservedly so — in Vogue!
When Josh stars this coming summer in Steven Spielberg’s new alien movie, watch for the film — called “Disclosure Day” to get a lot of features in Conde Nast magazines!
