MAD MEN Premieres to Lowest Numbers Since 2008

AMC's hit series Mad Men is back - but the show's typically stellar ratings are not.

According to Deadline, the first part of the season seven premiere "drew 2.3 million viewers at 10 PM last night. Just ahead of the 2.06 million who watched the Season 2 debut on July 27, 2008, the widely promoted 1-hour debut was down 32% in total viewers from the 3.4 million viewers that watched the Matthew Weiner-created series' Season 6 premiere on April 7, 2013."

Digital numbers for the premiere may provide a minor boost when they come in later today.

Since the series premiere in 2007, "Mad Men" has become one of television's most honored shows. The show has earned six Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Drama Series leading to four wins for Outstanding Drama Series.

Additional honors for the series includes: three Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Drama Series; a Peabody Award; three Producers Guild Awards; four Writers Guild Awards; two BAFTA Awards; five Television Critics Association Awards including Program of the Year, and Being named five years running to AFI's Top 10 Outstanding Television Programs.

The show stars Jon Hamm, January Jones, Vincent Karthheiser, Elisabeth Moss, Christina Hendricks, John Slattery, Aaron Staton, Rich Sommer, Robert Morse, Kiernan Shipka, Jessica Pare and Kevin Rahm.

Photo credit: Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC