Record ratings for ‘Boondocks’

“The Boondocks,” the controversial new animated series based on the comic strip by Aaron McGruder, delivered record ratings in its Cartoon Network premiere Sunday night. A total of 1.6 million viewers, or roughly as many as for a typical episode of Comedy Central’s popular “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart,” tuned in for the 11 p.m. show, according to figures from Nielsen Media Research.

“The Boondocks” was the highest-rated series premiere in the five-year history of Adult Swim, a late-night block of animated shows that has proved especially popular among young men. The young-male demographic is highly prized among advertisers, as it is considered hard to reach with most programming.

-- Scott Collins