From Reuters.com:LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The Force was strong for Cartoon Network as "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" became the channel's most-watched series premiere ever.
The computer-animated series, from Lucasfilm Animation, averaged 4 million total viewers in its debut at 9 p.m. Friday, according to Nielsen Media Research. The previous record holder was the April 18 series premiere of "Ben 10: Alien Force," with 2.9 million total viewers.
Cartoon said the "Star Wars" spinoff ranked as the No. 1 channel among all major kids networks in the time slot among total viewers as well as in the key youth demos of kids 2-11 (1.8 million), kids 6-11 (1.4 million) and tweens 9-14 (1.2 million, the largest in the demo for any premiere telecast of an original Cartoon series).
"Clone Wars" chronicles the adventures of Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, Ahsoka Tano and other "Star Wars" characters as they struggle against the dark side during the divisive, action-packed Clone Wars. An advance version of the series preniered in movie theaters in August.
An hour earlier on Friday, "The Secret Saturdays" premiered off with an average of 2 million viewers. "Saturdays," an animated comedy-action series created by Jay Stephens, centers on a family of world-saving adventure scientists.