Book of Negroes tops ratings for its time slot

The Book of Negroes, a TV adaptation based on Lawrence Hill's award-winning book, topped Canada's prime time raitingsWednesday.

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About 1.7 million Canadians tuned in to watch the series premiere, making it the number one show in its time slot beating out the People's Choice Awards.

The series tells the story ofAminata Diallo, a young West African girl taken from her home and sold into slavery in America. Years later she recounts her tale as the story focuses on abolitionists,the eventual outlawing of the slave trade and the journey some former slaves took back to West Africa.

#BookofNegroes also took social media by storm for two hours across the country's time zones.

The Book of Negroes airs Wednesday nights at 9 p.m. on CBC and runs until Feb. 11. You can watch episode one here.