• by Wayne Friedman , September 9, 2009

CW's new "Melrose Place" offered up a listless start to the network's new season. In the broader viewing demographic of adults 18-34, the new "Melrose Place" earned a 1.5 rating/5 share. This was 8% higher than a year ago, when "Privileged" debuted in this time slot -- a show that did not return this season.

Among its more core women 18-34 viewers, CW earned a 2.5/7, also 8% higher than "Privileged" of a year ago.

Returning show "90210" also was not stellar, taking in a modest 1.7 rating/6 share among 18-34 viewers. This was comparable to last May's results, but way off its two-hour season premiere of a year ago, when it took in a big 3.1 rating among 18-34 viewers.

All this gave the CW an average 1.7/5 among 18-34 viewers -- down 23% in ratings from 2.2 rating/6 share in adults 18-34 of a year ago on the night.

Tuesday's start for the CW was good for a three-way tie among 18-34 viewers for second place on the night along with NBC and Univision. In looking at just its core women 18-34 viewers, CW said its 2.6/8 average ranked second place to CBS' 3.0/8.

Tuesday's overall winner in the broader and bigger advertising viewer category --18-49 viewers -- was Fox with a 2.7/8. NBC was second at a 2.4/7; then CBS with a 2.1/6; ABC at 1.6/5; Univision with a 1.5/4; and CW at a 1.3/4.

Fox's "Hell's Kitchen" at 8 p.m. took in a 3.6/11 among 18-49 viewers as the best-rated show of the evening. A two-hour "America's Got Talent" tallied a sub-par 2.9/8 for the night, down 12% from the week before. Also at 9 p.m., CBS's "Big Brother" earned a 2.7/7, up a bit from the week before.

New episodes of summer reality shows offered few surprises: Fox's "More to Love" earned a 1.9/5 and ABC's "Shaq Vs." pulled a 1.6/4. ABC's best result came from a "Primetime: Family Secrets," which earned a 2.2/6 for the night.