BET's new reality docu-drama BALDWIN HILLS bowed with impressive numbers on Tuesday night during a special one-hour debut with back-to-back episodes. The much-anticipated premiere drew a 1.06 rating (1.1 million viewers, 908K Hhlds) for the first half-hour and climbed to a 1.09 rating (1 million viewers, 931K Hhlds) during episode 2, according to Nielsen Media Research.


Baldwin Hills, dubbed the "Black Beverly Hills" of Los Angeles, is an upscale black neighborhood west of Crenshaw Blvd. where professional athletes, television and film stars, doctors, lawyers and engineers reside. The series explores the lives of 11 kids - some from this upscale area while others live to the north of Baldwin Hills, situated along the base in a public housing neighborhood called "The Jungle" - as they interact and split their time between school, parties, college entrance exams and simply hanging out. Some of them are smart and hard-working, while others are spoiled with a strong sense of entitlement.


In addition to the strong viewer response, critics have given BALDWIN HILLS the "thumbs up" as well. The Washington Post calls the show "rich with reality," and the NY Daily News describes the cast as "the real deal." According to the Detroit News, BALDWIN HILLS is "blowing the veil off our perceptions of posh living and spoiled brats."


BALDWIN HILLS airs on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT and encores on Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 9 p.m.