'Smash' slouches lower

Maybe it was all a bad dream.

Maybe the Smash premiere was some weird low ratings anomaly. Maybe viewers didn’t know the NBC musical drama had returned yet, or maybe millions of fans simply made other plans. So maybe last night’s second episode will show a massive surge of viewership turning Smash once again into a beacon of midseason salvation.

Maybe not: Tuesday’s Smash had 3.3 million viewers and a 0.9 rating among adults 18-49 at 10 p.m., down 25 percent from the show’s two-hour premiere two weeks ago. It was the lowest-rated show on the a major broadcast networks last night. Smash almost certainly wasn’t helped by taking a week off right after its premiere (the State of the Union address was last week). But given its debut performance it’s tough to imagine the break will ultimately make all that big of a difference.

Maybe Smash should have kept Ellis after all?

There were two premieres giving Smash a run for the worst Nielsen ratings report hangover. ABC’s crime drama Body of Proof (6.7 million, 1.2) returned down 45 percent and The CW’s new conspiracy theory thriller Cult (941, 000, 0.3) was down 25 percent from the premiere of Emily Owens. (The photo above is from Cult … I’m pointing that out because there’s a pretty good chance, given these numbers, that most of you won’t recognize it).

Meanwhile: CBS’ NCIS easily ranked as the night’s top-rated show. ABC’s Bachelor special Sean Tells All rated slightly higher than last year’s Tell All special. NBC’s New Normal and Go On hit another series low. Fox’s New Girl and Mindy Project were down about 15 percent each.

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