'Newsroom' Hits High in Third Episode

HBO's decision to give its polarizing new series, The Newsroom, a quick second-season order was rewarded on Sunday, as the cable news drama turned in its most-watched episode so far. The episode drew 2.2 million viewers for its 10 p.m. airing, 100,000 more viewers than its premiere.

After debuting to 2.1 million viewers on June 24The Newsroom fell to a 1.7 million viewers in week two -- one day before HBO renewed the series for a second season.

Despite a mixed-bag of reviews from TV criticsNewsroom -- the first series Sorkin has penned since the failed Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip -- was the network's third-best series launch for HBO, behindBoardwalk Empire and Game of Thrones.