Robert Zemeckis’ UFO-themed Project Blue Book drew 3.5 million total viewers in its series premiere in Live+3, making it the most-watched scripted cable series premiere of the 2018/19 TV season-to-date. The January 8 premiere episode also topped the list in the key adults 25-54 demo, with 1.2 million in L+3 for History, according to Nielsen.

Project Blue Book bested Bravo’s Dirty John, which previously held the No. 1 spot for scripted cable series premieres with 2 million total viewers in Live+3, and 1 million in L+3.

Over all airings, (the 10 PM premiere and 11 PM, 1 AM and 2 AM repeats) the Project Blue Book series premiere drew 5.2 million total viewers in Live+3 and 1.8 million total viewers among adults 25-54 for the night.

Project Blue Book stars Aidan Gillen as a brilliant professor recruited by the U.S. Air Force to spearhead the military’s clandestine investigations into reports of UFOs and related phenomena. Each episode draws material from the authentic government files that were top secret when they were originally compiled under the Blue Book header. Michael Malarkey, Neal McDonough, Michael Harney, Laura Mennell and Ksenia Solo also star.

David O’Leary created, writes and co-executive produces Project Blue Book, with Zemeckis executive producing alongside Jack Rapke, Jackie Levine, Barry Jossen, Arturo Interian and writer-showrunner Sean Jablonski.