Controversial Comedy 'Black Jesus' Gains 2 Million Viewers In Series Premiere

The highly-controversial new Adult Swim live-action comedy "Black Jesus" reportedly blew away the ratings competition when it aired last Thursday evening, beating out most of its cable and broadcast competitors for the night.

The show, by "Boondocks" creator Aaron McGruder, managed to bring in a total audience of 2 million when it aired on Thursday, as well as snagging a Nielsen rating of .9 for the key demographic of adults, ages 18 to 49, at its 11 p.m time slot.

As The Hollywood Reporter reports, the show's viewership beat out several of its cable competitors, as well as broadcast series that include "The Quest" on ABC, "Rookie Blue" on ABC, and "Gang Related" on Fox.

Adult Swim's new off-kilter comedy "Black Jesus" has received criticism from religious and conservative groups, who decry the show's plot that follows the life of Jesus, played by Gerald "Slink" Johnson, as he preaches his message while drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana in his hometown of Compton, California.

The Christian Group One Million Moms called for a boycott of the new comedy, writing on its website that supporters should boycott the new, "blasphemous" series because it "depicts [Jesus] living in Compton Gardens and makes a mockery of our Lord."

"The foul language used in the trailer, including using the lord's name in vain, is disgusting," One Million Moms claimed, adding that "[i]f we speak with one voice now, we can keep this program from ever seeing the light of day."

Other opponents of the new series took to Facebook to start boycotting groups, while the American Family Association also expressed their disapproval of the show.