• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, February 9, 2006

UPN's new reality show featuring "Laguna Beach" star Kristin Cavallari failed to get the ratings party started, perhaps a signal that stars from the MTV hit may have trouble transferring their popularity elsewhere.

Cavallari, one of the breakout stars in "Laguna Beach," is a co-host of "Get This Party Started," which premiered Tuesday on UPN with a lackluster .8 rating in the target adult 18-to-34 demo. That's down 63 percent from UPN's season performance in the Tuesday at 9 p.m. time slot.

The show about lavish party planning also barely built on its lead-in hour, which featured comedy repeats and posted a .7.

Cavallari, an effervescent heartbreaker on "Laguna Beach," is scheduled to guest star in a sweeps stunt version of UPN drama "Veronica Mars" next week. "Get This Party Started" is scheduled to air twice next Tuesday, with a repeat of the premiere at 8 p.m., followed by a new episode.

The fate of "Laguna Beach" cast members outside the original show--a spin-off called "The Hills" with Lauren Conrad is expected on MTV this spring--will be closely watched by marketers seeking to appeal to teens and young adults, since they may want to sign them as endorsers. St. Martin's Press has tapped Jessica Smith to headline a campaign to relaunch its "Let's Go" franchise of budget travel guides.