Ratings: Smash Bombs in Return; Bachelor Rises

Bombshell? More like a bomb.

Smash crashed and burned in its much-hyped, two-hour, revamped return, drawing a mere 4.5 million viewers and a 1.1 in the adults 18-to-49 demographic Tuesday. That's down a whopping 71 percent from its post-Voice series premiere last season and almost 40 percent down from its season finale. It's also well below the 4.98 million viewers and 1.8 that Parenthood averaged in the 10 o'clock slot in the fall.

TV Musicals: The highs and lows

Lead-in Betty White's 2nd Annual 90th Birthday Special earned 6 million viewers and a 1.5. CBS won the night, led once again by NCIS (21.5 million, 3.7).ABC's decision to air a special episode of The Bachelor against Smash paid off, drawing 7.8 million viewers and a 2.6, up two-tenths from Monday. Fox's lineup was mostly steady, with The Mindy Project (3.6 million, 1.9) inching up a bit.On The CW, the series finale of Emily Owens, M.D. nabbed 1.5 million viewers and a 0.4.8 p.m.
CBS: NCIS 21.5 million viewers (3.7 demo rating)ABC: The Taste 5.3 million (1.8)Fox: Raising Hope 3.9 million (1.6); Raising Hope 4.6 million (1.5)NBC: Betty White's 2nd Annual 90th Birthday Special 6 million (1.5)CW: Hart of Dixie 1.4 million (0.6) 9 p.m.
CBS: NCIS: Los Angeles 16.6 million (3.1)ABC: The Bachelor 7.8 million (2.6) [9-11 p.m.]Fox: New Girl 4.8 million (2.5); The Mindy Project 3.6 million (1.9)NBC: Smash 4.5 million (1.1) [9-11 p.m.]CW: Emily Owens, M.D. 1.5 million (0.4)10 p.m.
CBS: Vegas 10.2 million (1.6)