‘Downton Abbey’ Finale Brings in Highest Ratings For PBS in Three Years

The ratings for the season 2 finale of Downton Abbey were the highest for PBS in nearly three years. The finale brought in more than 5.4 million viewers, which is more than double the channels average prime-time viewership.

The Seattle Post Intelligencer reports that last night’s finale of Downton Abbey was the most watched program since Ken Burns’ National Parks in 2009.

PBS president and CEO Paula Kergersaid in a statement:

“PBS and our member stations are so pleased that such a large audience is enjoying this great work from Masterpiece. From viewing parties to Twitter mentions, Downton Abbey is riding a wave of public enthusiasm, and it’s been wonderful to see so many people discovering public television as a destination for programming that’s smart, distinctive and entertaining.”

The second season of Downton Abbey was up 25% compared to the first season. The third season of the award winning show is currently being filmed in England. Season three, which will feature Shirley MacLaine, will air in the United States in early 2013.

Do you watch Downton Abbey?

Here’s a Q&A session with the cast of the PBS show.