3:44 PM PST 1/2/2013 by Michael O'Connell
Hardcore Pawn is not a one-trick pony. The TruTV series' Chicago-based spinoff premiered to record numbers Tuesday night.
The first episode pulled in 2.1 million viewers at 9:30 p.m., just beating the previous network record (2 million) set by Hardcore Pawn in 2010.
Hardcore Pawn: Chicago also bested previous series openers in key demos, nabbing 1 million adults 18-to-49 and 602,000 men in the demo.
As for the parent series, Hardcore Pawn still is on top. A new episode, which aired at 9 p.m. and gave Chicago a hefty lead, drew 2.8 million viewers. In the demos, the show brought in 1.4 million in 18-to-49 and 827,000 men in the demo.
Jan. 1 now ranks as TruTV's second-most-watched Tuesday night ever in total viewers.
