By . Simon Cable Showbusiness Correspondent . PUBLISHED: . 18:02 EST, 3 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 09:58 EST, 4 January 2014 . It has been 15 years since those Birds of a Feather disappeared from our screens. But it seems the lives of Sharon, Tracey and Dorien have lost little of their appeal. The comeback episode of the Essex-based comedy drew an average of 7.8million viewers, peaking with an audience of 8.3million. Essex girls: The returning cast of Birds of a Feather (L-R) Pauline Quirke as Sharon, Linda Robson as Tracey and Lesley Joseph as Dorien . Critics initially suggested that the comedy, which was nominated for a Bafta award in 1993, would not translate to a modern audience when it was revealed that ITV were planning to bring it back. At the height of its popularity in the 1990s, the programme pulled in 27million viewers. However, delighted fans took to Twitter to praise the new series. Alex Cheney wrote: ‘I might just have watched the new episode of Birds of a Feather for the fourth time in under 24 hours. It is so good to have it back!’ Another added: ‘Loved Birds of a Feather last night. Used to watch it all the time. So funny!’ The girls are back in town - Chigwell, to be precise: The comedy ensemble were a nostalgic hit with Twitter fans . Blast from the past: The show's new incarnation even featured the old credits . The comedy, created by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran, first aired 25 years ago, and ran until 1998 when it was axed by the BBC after more than 100 episodes. The new series was originally offered to the BBC, who turned it down. It will now run for a further seven episodes. Its audience matched the 7.8million who watched the EastEnders special on Christmas Day, and it was marginally less than the 8.3million average audience who tuned in to the Christmas Day episode of Doctor Who. Golden Girls: The trio were a ratings success back in the 1990s . The figures for the season opener include viewers who watched the show on ITV+1. Without catch-up figures, the show, which aired at 8.30pm on Thursday, still managed to draw an average audience figure of 6.8million. The new series features original cast members Pauline Quirke, 54, and Linda Robson, 55, as sisters Sharon and Tracey. Lesley Joseph, 68, also returns as the pair’s man-eater neighbour Dorien, who now writes erotic fiction. Mr Marks revealed earlier this year that they had originally offered the comeback series to the BBC, but the corporation said it did not want to revive the format, and only offered to make a one-off Christmas special.
Return of the Essex-based comedy appears to have delighted fans .
At the height of its popularity the programme pulled in 27million viewers .
The comedy first aired 25 years ago, and ran until 1998 .
It was axed by the BBC after more than 100 episodes .
By . Simon Cable Showbusiness Correspondent . PUBLISHED: . 18:02 EST, 3 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 09:58 EST, 4 January 2014 . It has been 15 years since those Birds of a Feather disappeared from our screens. But it seems the lives of Sharon, Tracey and Dorien have lost little of their appeal. The comeback episode of the Essex-based comedy drew an average of 7.8million viewers, peaking with an audience of 8.3million. Essex girls: The returning cast of Birds of a Feather (L-R) Pauline Quirke as Sharon, Linda Robson as Tracey and Lesley Joseph as Dorien . Critics initially suggested that the comedy, which was nominated for a Bafta award in 1993, would not translate to a modern audience when it was revealed that ITV were planning to bring it back. At the height of its popularity in the 1990s, the programme pulled in 27million viewers. However, delighted fans took to Twitter to praise the new series. Alex Cheney wrote: ‘I might just have watched the new episode of Birds of a Feather for the fourth time in under 24 hours. It is so good to have it back!’ Another added: ‘Loved Birds of a Feather last night. Used to watch it all the time. So funny!’ The girls are back in town - Chigwell, to be precise: The comedy ensemble were a nostalgic hit with Twitter fans . Blast from the past: The show's new incarnation even featured the old credits . The comedy, created by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran, first aired 25 years ago, and ran until 1998 when it was axed by the BBC after more than 100 episodes. The new series was originally offered to the BBC, who turned it down. It will now run for a further seven episodes. Its audience matched the 7.8million who watched the EastEnders special on Christmas Day, and it was marginally less than the 8.3million average audience who tuned in to the Christmas Day episode of Doctor Who. Golden Girls: The trio were a ratings success back in the 1990s . The figures for the season opener include viewers who watched the show on ITV+1. Without catch-up figures, the show, which aired at 8.30pm on Thursday, still managed to draw an average audience figure of 6.8million. The new series features original cast members Pauline Quirke, 54, and Linda Robson, 55, as sisters Sharon and Tracey. Lesley Joseph, 68, also returns as the pair’s man-eater neighbour Dorien, who now writes erotic fiction. Mr Marks revealed earlier this year that they had originally offered the comeback series to the BBC, but the corporation said it did not want to revive the format, and only offered to make a one-off Christmas special.
the Essex-based comedy drew an average of bring it back. At the height of its popularity in the 1990s, the programme pulled in 27million viewers. However, delighted fans took to Twitter Gran, first aired 25 years ago, and ran until 1998 when it was axed by the BBC after more than