According to Cartoon Network, the Sunday, Nov. 6, debut of Aaron McGruder’s The Boondocks was the highest-rated series premiere in the five-year history of its late-night block known as Adult Swim. The politically charged and controversial show drew approximately 1,605,000 viewers over the age of 18, making it the top-ranking program among ad-supported basic cable with adults 18-34.
Based on McGruder’s popular comic strip of the same name, The Boondocks stars Regina King (Miss Congeniality 2, Ray) as the voices of streetwise brothers Huey and Riley Freeman, who have been sent to live in the suburbs with their cantankerous grandfather, voiced by John Witherspoon (Friday, Next Friday, Friday After Next). Other regular voices are provided by Cedric Yarbrough (Reno 911), Gary Anthony Williams (Malcolm in the Middle), Gabby Soleil (Johnson Family Vacation) and Jill Talley (The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie).
The show has drawn fire from activist groups for it’s liberal use of the “N” word, and that attention has no doubt contributed to the premiere’s high ratings. The Boondocks ranked No. 19 for the week among all ad-supported basic cable programs for adults 18-34 and No. 8 with adults 18-24.
“We couldn’t be more proud of such a promising start for this provocative and smart new series,” says Jim Samples, exec VP and general manager of Cartoon Network.
“I’m delighted with the ratings, and we’re grateful to Aaron and his team for producing such great television,” adds Mike Lazzo, Cartoon Network’s senior VP responsible for Adult Swim.
Adult Swim serves up edgy animated comedy and action series, both original and acquired, Saturday through Thursday from 11 p.m to 6 a.m. (ET/PT) on Cartoon Network. Find more information about The Boondocks and other programs at (www.adultswim.com). Read an article about the show in the November issue of Animation Magazine, available at Barnes & Noble and other booksellers.
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