Sherlock is finally back for its third series and the premiere on New Year's Day on BBC One drew record ratings.
The 90-minute first episode of the three episode series drew a record 9.2 million viewers, reports Entertainment Tonight. That number makes "The Empty Hearse" the most watched episode of the show's run so far.
According to Deadline, viewing numbers point to 9.7 million viewers tuning in at one point during the episode. The return of Sherlock after faking his death in "The Reichenbach Fall" also looks to have been the most watched drama for UK during the holidays.
UK fans only have to wait another few days for the next episode "The Sign of Three," which will air on Sunday, Jan. 5. Meanwhile, U.S. fans have a much longer wait as the third series premiere doesn't hit PBS until Jan. 19.
Sherlock was also a social media hit, with analyst SecondSync claiming that over 300,000 tweets relating to the show were sent out during the premiere, notes Independent.
Showrunner Steven Moffat said, "Thrilling news on overnight ratings for Sherlock. A tribute to the team who work so hard, and with such pride, on the show, and of course to the genius of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle."
image: Amazon