“Everybody Hates Chris” has already lived up to its nearly overwhelming advance buzz, not to mention a brutally competitive time slot, to deliver some of UPN’s best ratings ever for a comedy series.

So it’s really no surprise that the network wants the show to stick around. UPN on Wednesday announced it was giving “Chris” a full-season order.

“The early ratings results for “Everybody Hates Chris’ have been very encouraging, and we’re thrilled with the overwhelmingly positive response that we continue to get from the press, the advertisers, the creative community and our viewers,” UPN President Dawn Ostroff says. “We’re now in production on our 11th episode, and from what we’ve seen and read, this wonderful series maintains its incredibly high standard of quality and the best days still lie ahead.”

The show, executive produced and narrated by comedian Chris Rock, is a “Wonder Years”-ish fictionalization of Rock’s life at a 13-year-old in Brooklyn. Tyler James Williams stars as Chris, with Tichina Arnold and Terry Crews playing his parents.

“Chris” set ratings records for UPN in its premiere two weeks ago, drawing the biggest audience ever (7.8 million people) for a comedy premiere on the network. Its second episode held up well against stiff competition, drawing just over 6 million viewers.

The strength of “Everybody Hates Chris” has also led to improved ratings on Thursday nights in UPN’s target audience of adults and women 18-34, even though the three comedies that follow it – “Love, Inc.,” “Eve” and “Cuts” – haven’t been able to hold on.

“Chris” is the third new show of 2005-06 to earn a full-season pickup, following Fox’s “Prison Break” and NBC’s “My Name Is Earl.”


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