"Dunham" breaks Comedy Central ratings record

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - After breaking Comedy Central's ratings records with his special last year, ventriloquist Jeff Dunham repeated the feat with his new series.

The Thursday debut of "The Jeff Dunham Show" drew 5.3 million viewers, making it the most-watched series premiere in Comedy Central's history.

The show, mostly panned by critics, also posted all-time records for a Comedy Central series premiere among adults 18-49 (a 2.6 rating).

Including the same-night replays, the premiere of "Jeff Dunham" attracted 7.9 million viewers. It was the top cable series on Thursday night and powered Comedy Central to its highest-rated night of the year.

(Editing by SheriLinden at Reuters)