Last year CIA drama "Homeland" had viewers hooked, with some fans even sporting their very own "Saul beards". And now for all those of you desperate for the next instalment, you'll be pleased to hear that the third season has just had its premiere in the States, and all of the familiar faces were there.

Last year CIA drama "Homeland" had viewers hooked, with some fans even sporting their very own "Saul beards".

The Corcoran Gallery of Art rolled out the red carpet in Washington on Monday night for a private screening of the third season premiere of the hit series "Homeland". The psychological drama sees bipolar CIA officer Carrie Mathison, played by Claire Danes, attempt to thwart an Al-Qaeda attack on American soil.

Officially, the latest episode premieres on Showtime September 29, though a pirated version leaked online earlier this month and was said to be downloaded more than 100,000 times.

"I just think it was bad security online. Anyway, so it got hacked. I think, you know, if I was an exec I would think, 'a little bit of publicity, that's quite nice. Let's make sure not too many people see it so we can hold it back for the premiere,'" actor Damian Lewis said.

So for those who haven't seen the leaked version, what can fans expect from the new season?

"Well Carrie has a rough go of it," Claire Danes said. "I mean, when does she not really? I think she feels profound guilt for having failed to anticipate this attack, you know, obviously the attack that devastated so much of the CIA in the finale, so she's just reeling from that really and the CIA is held under serious investigation, and they're having to defend their existence basically."

The heavily pregnant Morena Baccarin also appeared on the red carpet. "You get to see a bit more of the home life without Brody, how they're picking up the pieces and moving forward. There's a lot of conflict between Jessica and Dana, a lot of growth that happens there and a lot of heartbreak," Baccarin said.

However, Mandy Patinkin wouldn't reveal any spoilers but instead hailed the show's writers. "I won't give you any details. I will say that as an actor in it I have not been disappointed one iota as each script has come to me. I think it is thrilling what these writers are doing. I think they go into new territory that I haven't imagined," Patinkin said.

"Homeland" is currently nominated for 11 Emmy Awards, including best drama. The show is based on the Israeli television series "Prisoners of War."

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