Are You Watching Yet? A&E's 'Duck Dynasty' Scores Record Ratings for Season 3 Premiere

(A&E)

A&E's hit show "Duck Dynasty" returned Wednesday with a bang -- no pun intended. The season three premiere was watched by 8.6 million viewers, making it the most-watched episode ever and A&E's most watched telecast of all-time.

Wednesday's "Duck Dynasty" episode is also now the biggest reality show telecast so far in 2013, according to Entertainment Weekly.

"Dynasty had a 4.0 rating among adults 18-49, just barely edging out Fox’s American Idol and ABC’s Modern Family (both 3.9) in the nationals and winning the night," EW.com reports.

The pro-hunting reality show, which follows a Louisiana family with a business selling duck hunting products, continues to enjoy massive success. The season three premiere was up 132 percent from the last season premiere. Now that's progress.

It most likely helped ratings for the show when singer and animal rights activist cancelled his appearance on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" because the "Duck Dynasty" cast members were scheduled to be on the show. He said he couldn't bare to be on the same show as them because they are people who "amount to serial killers."