Penny Dreadful, the latest original series to hit Showtime, has been one of the most anticipated series of the year after its premiere at South by Southwest film festival in March. Now that it has aired, how did the series fare?

Entertainment Weekly reports that Penny Dreadful got off to a great start as far as ratings are concerned. On Sunday night, the series was viewed by 1.44 million people. It was viewed by an additional 900,000 people early via Showtime On Demand and its mobile app. It’s also noted that 62 percent of its viewership fell within the 18 to 49 age range. This puts it only slightly behind Dexter’s series premiere of 65 percent.

While strong ratings are a positive sign, will viewers want to come back next week? If the reviews are any indication of public sentiment, that would be a resounding yes. In The New York Times recap, it praises the series’ effective use of scares. The first two episodes are directed by J.A. Bayona, which most will recognize as the director of the masterful The Orphanage, and it seems that his skills as a horror director are not wasted here.

The Hollywood Reporter also had praise for the series’ ability to use established characters, like Dr. Frankenstein and Dorian Gray, and make them seem new:

A genre series like Penny Dreadful — really a unique amalgamation — could have gone all kinds of wrong. But [John] Logan, who has written each of the eight episodes, and director J.A. Bayona (who cements the overall look and feel of the series) keep things intriguing and fresh, fearful and entertaining. The characters are so vastly different from one another but mix well.

If you missed out on the premiere, you can check it out online via Showtime on Demand or Showtime’s streaming app. You can also watch the premiere on Hulu here.

If you’re still not sure about Penny Dreadful, check out the trailer below:

Image via Penny Dreadful/YouTube