‘Breaking Bad’ mid-season finale cooks up big ratings

At the halfway point through its final split season, “Breaking Bad” is really cooking.

Sunday night”s episode of the hit AMC drama drew 2.8 million viewers, up 47% over last year’s season four finale.

It was also up by 57% in household ratings, up 37% for adults 18-49 and up 34% in adults.  The episode was the final segment of the first half of season five. The next episode won’t air until summer 2013.

“Breaking Bad,” starring Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn and Dean Norris, has won four Emmys — including three best actor trophies for Cranston.

“Congratulations to everyone involved in Sunday’s great success and for delivering episode after episode of television that is nothing short of remarkable. ‘Breaking Bad’ began 5 years ago with a pilot that was like nothing we had ever seen on television,” said Charlie Collier, AMC”s president.

“That ‘Breaking Bad’ continues to deliver at such a remarkable level creatively, now over 50 episodes later, is a rare accomplishment that begins with Vince Gilligan and the torch is carried by every member of the team on both sides of the camera. We can’t wait to share the final eight episodes with our audience.”

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