TV

The best and worst ‘SNL’ hosts this season

When it comes to attracting big names to host “Saturday Night Live,” producers have no trouble.

But do those big names attract an audience?

Yes and no.

As this “SNL” season progressed from its premiere last fall, numbers began to fall off — and even hype queen Lena Dunham and media darling Louis C.K. failed to deliver when they hosted NBC’s 11:35 p.m. showcase.

But that’s the thing about star quality. You either have it or you don’t. Listed below are this season’s most popular and least popular hosts, along with links to key skits on the shows they hosted.

“SNL” wraps up the season this weekend with host Andy Samberg. On which end of the spectrum will the “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” star fall?

HIGHEST RATED SHOWS

Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake (Dec. 21, 2013)

One word sums up this amazing episode of “SNL”: Wrappingville, the skit where Fallon and Timberlake did a musical number about wrapping Christmas presents. Costumed as presents, the two lads rapped to a boom box and pranced around the stage.

It’s no surprise the teaming of the two brought ratings gold: 6.3 million viewers tuned in.

Melissa McCarthy (Feb. 1, 2014)

McCarthy’s third time hosting “SNL” kicked off with a so-so skit of her and cast member Bobby Moynihan doing a “Matrix” face-off. It didn’t hurt that this episode was also the last for “Weekend Update” co-anchor Seth Meyers before he began hosting “Late Night.”

Together, McCarthy and Meyers pulled in a very healthy 5.4 million viewers and a 2.9 million in the 18 to 49 demo.

Kerry Washington (Nov. 2, 2013)

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The “Scandal” star scored a healthy 4.9 million viewers with her appearance and displayed supple comic chops.

In a funny skit where Washington played Michelle Obama, then ran offstage to play Oprah Winfrey and Beyoncé, the writers added a disclaimer that underscored the series’ pitiful lack of diversity casting: “The producers of ‘Saturday Night Live’ would like to apologize to Kerry Washington for the number of black women she will be asked to portray tonight.”

LOWEST RATED SHOWS

Edward Norton (Oct. 26, 2013)

A talented dramatic actor, Norton isn’t the first name you think of when you say “sketch comedy,” so maybe that’s why only 3.9 million tuned in to watch him in skits, such as “Cops in the Classroom.”

Josh Hutcherson (Nov. 23, 2013)

“Hunger Games” star Josh Hutcherson came out of a hit franchise, but his star wattage was considerably dimmed when he hosted “SNL.” His relative inexperience doing sketch comedy was obvious in the “Best Buy” bit below. He was overshadowed by the regular, shrill “SNL” cast members.

The Hutcherson show only drew a 2.0 rating in adults 18 to 49 and 4.1 in all households.

Andrew Garfield (May 3, 2014)

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Despite a hilarious skit where Coldplay’s Chris Martin teaches Spider Man a thing or two about how to film a kissing scene, a mere 3.9 million viewers (2.0 in adults 18 to 49) tuned in for the Garfield show, which also featured the actor’s real-life girlfriend, Emma Stone.