Showbiz411

“Downton Abbey” scored 7.9 million viewers last night, and quadrupled PBS’s regular evening rating. Wow. According to PBS just now: Between 9:00-11:00 p.m., PBS was the second-most watched broadcast network on Sunday. Highest local-market ratings were at member stations KCTS-Seattle (9.6 rating, 17 share), WGBH-Boston (8.8/14), KLRU-Austin (8.1/13) and WNET-New York (8.0/12).

Seattle? Who knew? That city didn’t even exist in the minds of the Granthams et al back in 1920. But at least New York and Boston pulled their weight. “Downton” ratings should calm down a little now as the season settles in. But the final show of this season, aka the Christmas Special, will probably be even bigger since Dan Stevens –ignoring advice from David Caruso and Patrick Duffy– leaves the series in a blaze of ignominy.

The only show that did better last night was the Seahawks vs. Redskins on Fox. Otherwise, “Downton” ruled.

And Mitt Romney wanted to get rid of PBS. I’ll bet Ann and several Romneys were actually watching Mary and Matthew’s wedding!

Roger Friedman

Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News. Friedman previously wrote the Intelligencer column at New York Magazine, He writes for Parade magazine and has written for Details, Vogue, the New York Times, Post, and Daily News and many other publications. He is the writer and co-producer of a film about R&B Music called “Only the Strong Survive,” which was released by Miramax in 2003 and was a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals.