[Editor's Note: TVWW contributor Donna J. Plesh died April 2, 2015, from ovarian cancer. She was 71. Donna covered television since the early 1980s, initially for the Orange County Register and its TV magazine. She also was a member of the Television Critics Association. Donna was always a cheerful spirit within the TVWW network and often gave readers a kind, up-close viewpoint in her interviews with a wide variety of television stars. She will be missed.]

BEVERLY HILLS, CA -- It seems we just can’t get enough Downton Abbey on PBS. That wildly popular series will return for its fourth season on Jan. 5, 2014.

That news came amid a number of announcements and comments made by PBS president and CEO Paula Kerger during Tuesday’s PBS portion of the Television Critics Association summer press tour.

She said Downton does help the network with audience growth, especially in prime time. Kerger said the public broadcaster’s ratings are up 5 percent this year in prime time, compared to 2012.  Additionally, she said the network’s Sunday ratings, the night Downton aired this past season, are up 26 per cent compared to the year before.

And for the icing on the Downton cake, Kerger said the series is the network’s most-watched scripted series ever, and the second most watched program ever on the network, behind only Ken Burns’ documentary The Civil War.

Kerger added that Downton would continue to air in the U.S. after its run in the U.K. is complete. Some have questioned this delay, because “spoilers” leak almost immediately, but Kerger sees this as a benefit for the series when it airs in the U.S.

“We look at how we can get promotion and buzz around the series, the fact that people talk about it and that that word of mouth sort of travels once it premieres in the U.K. has actually benefited us," she said. "And, in fact, it is the highest-rated series that we’ve had, and the season finale one-night broadcast is the highest rating we’ve ever gotten in public television for a drama. So you kind of don’t want to mess with that if it’s working so well.”

In addition, she said, the very popular modern-day Sherlock also would return in 2014.  When asked about reports that the series would air in the U.S. closer to when it airs in the U.K, Kerger said: “We haven’t yet set the broadcast for Sherlock, and we are looking, actually, very carefully. I’m not sure the broadcast has actually been fully set for the U.K. broadcast, either. But that’s a subject of great interest, obviously, because, like Downton, it has a very passionate fan base.”

Kerger also said other series will be returning to the network next year with new episodes, including Call The Midwife, The Bletchley Circle and Mr. Selfridge.

In other PBS news, Gwen Ifill and Judy Woodruff have been named co-anchors and managing editors of PBS Newshour. Ifill and Woodruff will anchor the broadcast together Monday through Thursday each week. On Friday Woodruff will anchor solo, as Ifill will be hosting Washington Week that night. In addition, Hari Sreenivasan will be senior correspondent for PBS Newshour.