“Last Man Standing” Premiere Ratings Look Good for ABC; Tim Allen Draws

How the critically-panned sitcom holds up in the coming weeks is the true test, but ABC can at least smile that Tim Allen’s presence still means something in 2011.

According to ABC, “Last Man Standing” premiered to an impressive 3.5 adults 18-49 rating with 13.0 million viewers. The viewership figure, very large for the present television climate, reflects Allen’s appeal with older viewers, but the 3.5 demo number is nothing at which to sneeze.

ABC’s press release calls the “Last Man” premiere “TV’s most-watched comedy series opener with an 8PM start on any night of the week since September 2004 and…the top-rated among Adults 18-49 since September 2006.”