Apparently 17 months off the air can sometimes be a good thing.

The Mad Men season 5 premiere drew 3.5 million viewers last night, a 21 percent increase over the season four opener and easily the most-watched episode in the history of this AMC drama.

"Mad Men set the bar high and we are incredibly proud that it continues to engage audiences looking for unexpected, unconventional and uncompromising television,” said AMC President Charlie Collier. "For each of the five Mad Men seasons Matthew Weiner and his team have crafted a beautifully told story and each season a larger audience has responded; a rare accomplishment. We couldn’t be more proud of this program, the brilliant writers, cast and crew, and the entire team on each side of the camera." 

The show moves ahead with a new episode next Sunday night. Check out the official preview now for "Tea Leaves."

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.