Will Ferrell's Broadway special, 'You're Welcome America--A Final Night with George W. Bush' nabbed 2.3 million viewers for HBO on Sunday.
In what shaped up to be a big weekend for cable comedy specials, Will Ferrell's sendup of George W. Bush captured the biggest aud for any HBO special since 2004, while the blue roast of Blue Collar comic Larry the Cable Guy drew the largest crowd for Comedy Central so far this year.
Running Saturday, "You're Welcome America -- A Final Night With George W Bush" was seen by a same-day audience of 2.3 million viewers, the largest aud for an HBO comedy special since the bow of "Chris Rock: Never Scared" in April 2004.
On Sunday, the "Comedy Central Roast of Larry the Cable Guy" drew 4.1 million viewers, making it the most watched program on basic cable for the night and also for the network in 2009.
It was also Comedy Central's third highest rated roast ever, trailing only the comedic eviscerations of Jeff Foxworthy (6.2 million viewers) and Pamela Anderson (4.3 million).