A solid first step for NBC's "Dance"

By James Hibberd

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - NBC's new year got off to a fine start with the premiere of "Superstars of Dance" on Sunday

The two-hour international dance competition series averaged 10.4 million viewers at 9 p.m., significantly improving upon its lead-in, "Saturday Night Live Sports Extra" (5.7 million).

ABC's "Desperate Housewives" (14.3 million) was the top show, despite hitting a season low. CBS' "Cold Case" followed with 12.7 million viewers. Both shows also aired in the 9 p.m. hour.

The second episode of "Dance" aired Monday at 8 p.m. in its regular time period, where it faced heavier competition. Sunday's debut showed some drop-off, losing viewers each half-hour, which suggests a lower number for Monday's outing. Still, the numbers are better than the network expected, marking NBC's best-rated reality series debut since February's "My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad."

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter