It is still the flagship scripted series for The CW, but “The Vampire Diaries” is showing signs of lost luster. Its season three premiere dipped to a 1.4 adults 18-49 ratings with 3.0 million viewers.
Though vastly ahead of most CW offerings, the premiere figure represented a decline from last year’s 1.6.
It also meant reduced lead-in support for new series “The Secret Circle,” as compared to what it provided for “Nikita” in 2010.
The new series, very much on brand with “Diaries,” opened to a 1.3 adults 18-49 rating with the same 3.0 million viewership average.
The numbers are perfectly acceptable for a premiere on The CW in 2011, although they were not strong enough to assure the show will be immune from danger as curious week one viewers potentially seek alternative programming choices in the coming weeks.