'America's Got Talent' tops despite lowest-rated debut

NBC's tentpole summer series "America's Got Talent" returned Tuesday evening and easily topped the ratings chart, while ABC's new competition series "The Superstars" stumbled out of the gate.

The two-hour "America's Got Talent" (11.3 million viewers, 3.2 preliminary adults 18-49 rating) debut won the night, though slipped 14% from last year to post the show's lowest-rated premiere yet. Still, "Got Talent" was the most-watched season debut so far this summer. Lead-in "I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here" (4.3 million, 1.4) hit a season low.

There's been much debate whether interest in UK's "Got Talent" breakout star Susan Boyle would help build anticipation for the show, or make viewers feel like they already got their "Talent" fix this year. Another factor is the replacement of longtime host Jerry Springer with actor/rapper/producer Nick Cannon, a move NBC hoped would boost the younger "Got Talent" demos. A 14% drop is common enough for shows in their fourth season that it's tough to peg it to any specific cause.

Critics, though, couldn't help but to reflect on the impact, or lack of impact, that Boyle had on the show.

"There was no Susan Boyle moment," wrote People. "Of course, the show had to pump up its own pseudo-Boyle moment," wrote EW. "The show is steering clear of trying to duplicate the 'Boyle effect,'" countered USA Today.

CBS was second in the adult demo with repeats, though placed first Tuesday among total viewers despite facing first-run competition on all the other broadcast networks.

ABC was third, opening the night with a 90-minute premiere for "The Superstars" (4.3 million, 1.6) -- which ought to win an award for the most vague reality show title ever (also, when will networks realize the word "superstar" makes a reality show sound cheesy?).

"Superstars" did manage to top "Celebrity" in the 8 p.m. hour, though ABC's new program was down considerably from the debuts of "Wipeout" and "I Survived a Japanese Game Show" in the time period last year. ABC followed "Superstars" with the abysmally-rated time-period premiere of "Better Off Ted" (1.8 million, 0.8) and then "Primetime Family Secrets" (3.4 million, 1.2).

Fox was fourth with a repeat and a new low for "Mental" (3.7 million, 1.1). Overall: a rough night for broadcast.