Honey Boo Boo special breaks records

To steal a phrase from ESPN's SportCenter, Honey Boo Boo cannot be stopped, she can only be contained.

The diminutive star of TLC's smash hit 'Here Comes Honey Boo Boo' continues to gain in popularity. What once seemed like a flash-in-the-pan success that would quickly be pushed aside and forgotten has instead become a ratings gargantuan that will one day encompass us all.

The first of four (yes, FOUR) planned 'Here Comes Honey Boo Boo' holiday specials recently aired. It focused on what the Thompson's do for Halloween (I realize its three months after the fact, but TLC marches to their own beat). The special aired Sunday night and drew a 1.7 rating in the adults 18-49 demo, with 3.1 million viewers overall. These are the highest numbers the series has reached yet. Making those numbers more impressive are the fact that shows have reemerged from their winter cocoons, so the show achieved this numbers against optimal Sunday night competition.

The show was up 10 percent from its last original broadcast, which drew 2.8 million viewers and a 1.4 rating in the 18-49 demo. 

The next holiday special, which focuses on Thanksgiving, airs next Sunday. The show then goes dark for a month, before returning February 17 with the Christmas special.