The long-awaited season four premiere of “Downton Abbey” on PBS did not disappoint in the ratings — with a record 10.2 million viewers tuning in for its two-hour return on January 5.

    That was 2 million more viewers than those who watched the British costume drama’s third season finale — itself a record — to rank as the highest rated drama debut in PBS history.

    The episode — which picked up with the Crawley family six months after the tragic death of Matthew (Dan Stevens) by car accident — improved 22 percent over its third season average and 29 percent from its last season premiere.

    “‘Downton Abbey’ continues to enthrall* audiences nationwide, and this season is especially riveting* with the addition of Shirley MacLaine to the cast and the lively interaction between her and Maggie Smith,” PBS president and CEO Paula Kerger said in a statement. “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.”

    “Downton Abbey” beat all of its broadcast competition in its time period. (SD-Agencies)