The sharks are falling!

Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!, Syfy’s latest orgy of scenery chewing, shark effects, campy cameos and corporate synergy, scarfed up 2.814 million viewers last night. That’s about a million viewers shy of the finny franchise’s second installment last July, while about twice as many viewers as watched the Sharknado that started it all.

In the demo, S3 last night snagged 1.1 million viewers, compared to last July’s 1.6 million, which was the stat that made Sharknado 2: The Second One the channel’s most watched original movie ever.

S3 was last night’s most watched basic cable telecast in overall audience, but finished close behind several other programs bunched up at the top in the demo, including TBS’s The Big Bang Theory repeats, Adult Swim’s Family Guy reruns, and a Duck Dynasty episode on A&E. It was, however, tops in its timeslot in the demo, as well as among 25-54 year olds.

It also is Syfy’s most watched original movie – and telecast of any kind, for that matter – since 2014’s Sharknado 2 premiere, in 18-49, 25-54, and in overall audience.

Last July, Sharknado 2: The Second One dwarfed the previous summer’s original, which itself had became a surprise social-media hit, and clocked 1.4 million viewers of all ages, with 566,000 in the demo. Sharknado2, soared 183% in total viewers and 190% among adults 18-49 and, in the demo, Sharknado 2 topped several broadcast competitors, including CBS’ Extant, Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance and ABC’s Motive.

Last night’s Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! dropped 27% in overall audience and 33% in the demo. Even so, Syfy last night revealed some of its plans for Sharnado 4 and this morning officially announced same, saying it would air some time next July, with the fate of Tara Reid’s character in viewers’ hands.