Most of the time, audiences for shows shrink. Even if they do grow, it's usually for a season or two before it starts to fade.

Not with Syfy's "Eureka," however. For the fourth consecutive year (yeah, the number that comes after three), the quirky comedy starring Colin Ferguson has added to its already sizable audience base, finishing with 3.16 million total viewers over the course of the season.

That's up slightly from the 3.15 million that tuned in for Season 3, and is leaps and bounds beyond the 2.48 million that were around for Season 1 back in 2007, according to a press release from Syfy.

The numbers include not only live viewers, but those who DVR as well -- a growing segment of television's viewer base. Among the more than 3 million who tuned in each week, 1.4 million were adults between 18 and 49 (up 1 percent from the year before), a key demographic appealing to advertisers. Of that, 584,000 were adults under the age of 34, up 8 percent from the year before, marking its best audience in this particular demo ever.

The growth has slowed for "Eureka," starting with a 20 percent jump in Season 2 to a 6 percent rise in Season 3. However, the fact that it's growing -- and remains one of Syfy's top-rated programs, means that there will be plenty of "Eureka" to go around in the coming years, and will remain the network's longest-running current program.

The show already has been renewed for a fifth season -- something the network pretty much does without hesitation -- and will air a Christmas episode in December, like its sister show, "Warehouse 13."

"Eureka" might be strong in the ratings, but it's not stopping the producers from taking chances. This season, the addition of James Callis from "Battlestar Galactica" allowed the entire show to virtually reset itself. It also featured a crossover with "Warehouse 13," bringing Allison Scagliotti to town for a single episode.

The show also included some interesting guest stars including Ming-Na from "Stargate: Universe," Wil Wheaton from "Star Trek: The Next Generation," Matt Frewer of Max Headroom fame, and Felicia Day.

Besides Ferguson, "Eureka" also stars Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Joe Morton, Erica Cerra, Neil Grayston, Niall Matter and features Jordon Hinson.