Lewis Black: "Root of All Evil" clicks for Comedy Central

Lewis Black outta be in good spirits, for a change. His new Comedy Central skein "Lewis Black's Root of All Evil" did well in its Wednesday debut behind the 12th season opener of "South Park."

"Evil" banked 2.3 million viewers, coming out of 3.1 million for "South Park." Comedy Central sez it was its highest-rated series debut since the dawn of "Chappelle's Show" in 2003. Most important, by Comedy Central's yardstick, is that it scored with young men, finishing third for the night among all shows, in men 18-24 and men 18-34, behind "South Park" and (well behind) Fox's "American Idol."

"Evil" has a faux courtshow/gameshow format in which comics debate the evil-quotient of people or various social ills, phenoms and issues. Black delivers a monologue introducing the topic, other comics make the case for and against, and then Black renders his "final verdict." (Pictured above, Black and Patton Oswalt)

Here's a glimpse of Black expounding, in a most politically incorrect way, on what is more pernicious, Oprah Winfrey or the Catholic Church.