Fargo Kills in the Ratings—Find Out How Many Tuned in!

The 10-episode limited series debuted with strong numbers at 4.15 million viewers and 1.79 million belonging to the key 18-49 demographic.

By Leanne Aguilera Apr 16, 2014 7:41 PMTags
Fargo, Billy Bob ThorntonChris Large/FX

Fargo received a warm welcome despite the series' icy tone.

On Tuesday night, FX's small screen adaptation of Fargo premiered and fans we're happy to embrace the dark vibes and the "Minnesota nice" humor that the Coen Brothers instilled in the original film.

The 10-episode limited series debuted with strong numbers at 4.15 million viewers and 1.79 million belonging to the key 18-49 demographic.

"We are incredibly proud of the towering creative achievement by Noah Hawley and everyone involved with Fargo," John Landgraf, CEO of FX Networks and FX Productions said in a statement Wednesday afternoon.

Inspired by the 1996 Oscar-winning film of the same name, Fargo follows Billy Bob Thornton as Lorne Malvo, a rootless, manipulative man who meets and forever changes the life of small town insurance salesman Lester Nygaard (Martin Freeman).

 "The performances by Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman, Allison Tolman, Colin Hanks, and the entire stellar cast are nothing short of extraordinary. This is truly one of the best shows we've ever had on the network," Landgraf continued. "We're thrilled with the initial viewership last night and really excited for audiences to see the rest of the miniseries."

If you happened to miss out on all the dark humor, don't you worry! FX will air three additional encore runs of the premiere episode of Fargo, "The Crocodile's Dilemma," this week on Wednesday, April 16 at 12:20 a.m. ET/PT; Thursday, April 17 at 1:00 a.m.ET/PT; and Saturday, April 19 at 1:00 a.m.ET/PT.

Watch: Billy Bob Thornton Freezes His Butt Off

For those of you who did enjoy Fargo's TV debut, you betcha we've got a treat for you: take a look at our video above for an exclusive interview with star Billy Bob Thornton for behind-the-scenes scoop. Plus, find out why the cast of Fargo was "dressed like the South Park kids."

Fargo airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on FX.