The premiere of USA Network and SYFY’s Chucky is now one of the most-watched new TV series premieres of the year. Created and written by franchise creator Don Mancini, Chucky follows fourteen-year-old Jake Wheeler (Zackary Arthur), who picks up the twisted Good Guy doll at a yard sale. When a string of murders occurs, the community is thrown into chaos. The series picks up some time after the events of Cult of Chucky (2017), and it maintains the events of the entire Child’s Play franchise—which spawned six sequels—as canon. Promotional materials for the show have also hinted that Chucky will address the legend of Charles Lee Ray, which is prevalent in the town of Hackensack.

Mancini was famously absent from the 2019 Child’s Play reboot, but the creator is back in full force for the new series. He is credited as a writer for all ten episodes (alongside Kim Garland, who contributed to eight of them) and directed episode one. Brad Dourif, who also sat out from the reboot, returns to once again voice the killer doll, a performance he originated in 1988’s Child’s Play and reprised in the sequels. Dourif's daughter, Fiona, will reprise her role as Nica Pierce, with franchise veterans, Alex Vincent, Christine Elise and Jennifer Tilly also returning. Joining newcomer Arthur is Alyvia Alyn Lind, Björgvin Arnarson, Teo Briones, Lexa Doig, Devon Sawa and Barbara Alyn Wood.

Related: Why The Chucky Show Exploring The Killer's Backstory Could Be A Terrible Idea

Chucky had one of the most-watched series premieres among new shows this year, The Wrap confirms. 4.4 viewers watched the much-anticipated premiere in its first week, which debuted on October 12. The huge turnout is perhaps owing to a devoted fan base combined with a younger crop of fans. Of the millions who tuned it, 1.1 million were in the 18-49 demographic. Viewers were able to catch the premiere on USA, SYFY, and each network’s YouTube channel.

Alyvia Alyn Lind as Lexy Cross, Brad Dourif as Chucky, Zackary Arthur as Jake Wheeler in Chucky TV Show

Development on Chucky was first announced in 2019 when SYFY picked up the rights to the series. Mancini was tapped to write and executive produce the project alongside David Kirschner and Nick Antosca. Mancini began working on the series before the Child’s Play reboot was released in 2019, a film that didn’t receive the creator's seal of approval. With the series, Mancini was able to reclaim the original character and develop its continuity. After briefly switching over from SYFY to USA, Universal Content Productions opted to have Chucky air on both networks, a decision that would ultimately bolster the debut’s impressive numbers.

The numbers are a boon for NBCUniversal, the parent company of SYFY and USA. Chucky and fellow SYFY series, Resident Alien, are the two biggest debuts among new cable series in 2021. Viewership is also up this year among streaming services, some of which saw new series break viewership records. Nine Perfect Strangers, which premiered in August, had Hulu’s most-watched series premiere ever, and Loki became the most-watched Disney+ premiere back in June. Meanwhile, Netflix’s Squid Game has logged over 2 billion minutes watched. It will difficult to top Squid Game’s eye-popping numbers, but with good numbers and positive reviews right out the gate, Chucky is certain to please old fans and newcomers for at least one season.

More: Chucky: Why Jake Working With Chucky Is The Best Thing For The Series

Source: The Wrap