Gore Scores with Best 'SNL' Season Ratings December 17, 2002 - Reuters/Variety By Michael Schneider click on thumbnail for larger image HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - First he won the popular vote; now Al Gore (news - web sites) has won the Nielsen race as well. NBC's Dec. 14 edition of "Saturday Night Live (news - Y! TV)," hosted by the former vice president, scored the sketch show's best household ratings of the season in the top "metered" markets, and ranked as its best performance since last February (an episode hosted by Britney Spears). Final results will be released on Thursday, but preliminary numbers show "SNL" posted a 7.6 rating and 17 share in the top markets, compared to rival "Mad TV's" 3.9/7. "SNL" was actually the top-rated network program of the night, besting all shows in primetime. "SNL" pulled a 7.9/17 in New York, 9.1/23 in Los Angeles and 10.1/20 in Chicago. "SNL" also averaged a 7.9/18 in Washington, D.C., up from its November average of 5.0/13 in the market. The Gore edition came the same weekend the 2000 presidential candidate announced that he wouldn't run in 2004. Phish was the musical guest. Meanwhile, NBC got an early Christmas present Sunday night, thanks to the eighth run of the Chevy Chase vehicle "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation." According to preliminary Sunday night numbers, the theatrical scored an impressive 5.2 rating and 11 share among adults 18-49, making it the second-highest rated movie on the networks this season.