FX has ordered a 4th season of its hit supernatural drama series American Horror Story, from Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, it was announced today via press release by John Landgraf, CEO, FX Networks and FX Productions.

Season 4 will comprise of 13 episodes. 

“Put simply, Ryan Murphy is a master television producer,” said Landgraf. “Time and time again he reinvents the form. What he, co-creator Brad Falchuk and their producers Dante Di Loreto, Tim Minear, Jennifer Salt, James Wong, Brad Buecker, Jessica Sharzer, Douglas Petrie, Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, Alexis Martin Woodall and the entire production team and cast responsible for the American Horror Story franchise have done is nothing short of extraordinary. Every year, they create a riveting and brilliant new miniseries. AHS: Coven is the best yet, and I have no doubt that the next installment will be even better.”

The series’ current season American Horror Story: Coven (which features the acting talents of Angela Bassett and Gabourey Sidibe) is averaging 7.74 million total viewers, per episode, outpacing last season’s installment by a staggering 83% in total viewers. With 9 episodes left in the season, American Horror Story: Coven is on track to record some of the strongest ratings of any program in FX history. Coven’s first two episodes were the highest-rated single telecasts in delivery of Adults 18-34 in FX’s history. Coven also ranks as the highest-rated miniseries of 2013 in delivery of Adults 18-49 and Adults 18-34.

However, I wouldn’t necessarily expect the newly-ordered season 4 to see a return of Angela Bassett (who I think helped make the ratings difference this season, drawing black audiences who weren’t watching the series before this season – like myself and many other folks I know).

But we’ll see.

An unscientific survey: How many of you started watching the series this season because of the addition of Angela Bassett and Gabourey Sidibe to the series’ cast? And if both actresses aren’t featured in the series next season, will you tune out, or are you now hooked on the series, so much that it doesn’t matter who’s in it?

Since its inception, the American Horror Story miniseries franchise has combined for a total of 34 Emmy Award nominations.

American Horror Story: Coven features an extraordinary cast including Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Taissa Farmiga, Emma Roberts, Gabourey Sidibe, Frances Conroy, Lily Rabe, Denis O’Hare, Jamie Brewer, Alexander Dreymon, Josh Hamilton, Patti LuPone, and Danny Huston.

It is produced by Twentieth Century Fox Television.