Bam: 'Jersey Shore' season two sets ratings record

See, the cast is worth every penny.

The season two premiere of MTV's "Jersey Shore" delivered 5.3 million viewers.

That's nearly a 300% increase from the season one opener, and a healthy 10% higher than the first season's mega-rated finale.

(And just to infuriate TV critics: The recent season premiere of "Mad Men," you'll recall, got 2.9 million).

The telecast marked MTV’s best season premiere rating in more than seven years, since the season two launch of "The Osbournes."

It's also the top-rated telecast on cable this year in MTV's target 12-34 demo.

News comes after the cast haggled a hefty raise from MTV.

Meanwhile, TMZ is reporting that Snooki was arrested in New Jersey for disorderly conduct. Sources say the incident was capture by the show's camera crew -- you can actually see "Jersey Shore" producers in some of the shots making the rounds -- so expect that scene coming in season three.