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‘Downton Abbey’ premiere draws 7.9 million viewers

British import “Downton Abbey” is back with a bang.

According to reports, the PBS drama pulled in a whopping 7.9 million viewers after last night’s third season debut.

The PBS drama almost doubled the series’ second season premiere, which drew 4.2 million viewers.

Additionally, the two-hour premiere quadrupled the average prime time rating for PBS. With a 5.1 household rating, the debut beat out the show’s second season by a staggering 96 percent according to Nielsen.

The current season comes with the addition of Shirley MacLaine to the cast.

PBS president and CEO Paula Kerger said to The Wrap about the premiere, “I’m so pleased that audiences have returned to ‘Downton Abbey’ on their local stations to continue to enjoy some of the best drama on television.”

Stateside fans will be happy to learn there will be more aristocratic drama to come, as Deadline reports that UK broadcaster ITV ordered a fourth season of Downton Abbey in late November.