My dad (Phil) echoed that,’ he told USA Today. ‘I think he said something along the lines of “A redneck family, they’re not going to run that.”’
The blockbuster premier on Wednesday placed the long-bearded Robertson boys ahead of another famously hirsute cable star. Duck Dynasty’s 11.8 million viewers beat out the wildly popular conclusion of History’s The Bible, which portrayed the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, by around 100,000 viewers.
The show follows Phil Robertson, who created a successful company that sells duck hunting merchandise, his bearded sons, and all their wives and kids.
As the show’s success has increased exponentially—it grew by 95 percent between seasons two and three—the company that got it all started has reaped the benefits.