Ratings: Season 3 ‘Mad Men’ premiere draws a series-best 2.8 million viewers

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Could audiences finally be warming up to ‘Mad Men’?

The third season of AMC’s critically praised by ratings-challenged advertising drama hit a series high in its Sunday premiere, delivering 2.8 million viewers -- up 34% from last year’s opener. Across the night’s three airings, the show drew a cumulative 4 million.

It’s quite a leap when you consider that Season 2 averaged just 1.5 million viewers in its Sunday-at-10 airings.

‘Mad Men’ even edged the debut of E!’s ‘Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami,’ a reality show starring two of the tabloid-happy Kardashian sisters. Latter scored 2.7 million viewers, making it the cable network’s most-watched series telecast since ‘The Anna Nicole Show’ in 2002.

The second season of ‘Mad Men’ was recently nominated for a leading 16 Emmy nominations, the most for any drama series.

-- Denise Martin