The CBC continued its strong premiere week on Wednesday night with the start of Dragons’ Den at 8 p.m. bringing in 1.496 million (2+) viewers, with 580,000 between the ages of 25 and 54, according to BBM Canada numbers provided by the CBC.

And topping one million, and marking its most-watched season premiere yet, was the season three launch of Republic of Doyle at 9 p.m. The episode, featuring guest star Russell Crowe, earned 1.361 million (2+) viewers, with 520,000 in the 25 to 54 demographic, according to BBM Canada.

The Wednesday night numbers round out a week of million-plus audiences for the pubcaster in its winter premiere week, which included Marketplace, Mr. D and Arctic Air.

Topping off a busy news week, the Ceeb also announced that M2 Universal is staying on for another three years as the media planning and buying agency for the network’s English Services, following a competitive review launched this summer.