On a night with four high-profile fall premieres, CBS’s much-hyped and critically savaged “Kid Nation” got off to a decent if unspectacular start.

The new reality show about a group of kids ages 8-15 fashioning their own society averaged a 3.0 adults 18-49 rating, according to Nielsen overnights, and drew 9.1 million total viewers in its 8 p.m. timeslot.

It won the slot in 18-49s and finished just behind the season premiere of NBC’s hit game show “Deal or No Deal” in total viewers. And in a promising sign for CBS, the show gained substantially in both 18-49s (up 19 percent) and total viewers (up 13 percent) from its first to its second half.

But the numbers weren’t by any means spectacular, and “Nation” did get beaten by Fox’s new sitcom “Back to You” during its first half hour among 18-49s.

“Nation” received a huge amount of publicity following an outcry over whether CBS violated child labor laws in filming the kids in grueling conditions for 40 days in a New Mexico town. (CBS maintains it did nothing wrong, and no charges have been filed.)

Media people had mixed reaction to the show, some saying it had real breakout potential and others finding the concept distasteful. “Nation’s” real challenge will be whether it can hold or build on that opening audience in coming weeks, when ABC also roles out its competition.

Meanwhile, in other new show debuts last night, Fox had very solid starts for “You” and “Kitchen Nightmares” at 9 p.m. “You” averaged a 3.1, winning its 8 p.m. half hour in 18-49s and total viewers, where it averaged 9.4 million, nearly 1 million ahead of CBS and NBC.

“Nightmares,” with Fox summer reality star Gordon Ramsay, averaged a 3.1 in 18-49s, winning its timeslot and helping Fox to No. 1 on a competitive night. “You” and “Night” tied for the top rating for any show on any network last night.

The CW's always-reliable “America’s Next Top Model” won its 8 p.m. timeslot in the network’s target 18-34s with a 2.8 for its premiere, and new show “Gossip Girl” at 9 p.m. lost 21 percent of that audience for a 2.2 average, the best audience retention for any new show out of "Top Model." But it had steep declines of roughly 30 percent in 18-49s and total viewers.

Among women 18-34 and teenage girls, the show did very well. The CW points out that the show's premiere outdrew the debuts of such past teen-focused hits as "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Gilmore Girls" and "One Tree Hill" in those demos.

Fox led the night among viewers 18-49 with a 3.0 average overnight rating and a 9 share. NBC was second at 2.8/8, CBS third at 2.6/7, CW fourth at 2.1/6, ABC fifth at 2.0/6 and Univision sixth at 1.7/5.
 
CBS started the night in the lead with a 3.0 for “Nation,” followed by Fox with a 2.9 average for “You” (3.1) and the second-season premiere of “’Til Death” (2.7). NBC and CW tied for third at 2.5, NBC for “Deal” and CW for “Top Model,” with ABC fifth with a 1.4 for an hour of “According to Jim” reruns and Univision sixth with a 1.1 for “Amar sin Limites.”
 
At 9 p.m. Fox took the lead with a 3.1 for “Nightmares,” while NBC rose to second with a 2.8 for its first hour of the finale of “Last Comic Standing.” ABC was third with a 2.5 for the preview special “Come Rain or Come Shine: From ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ to ‘Private Practice,’” CBS fourth with a 2.4 for a repeat of “Criminal Minds,” Univision fifth with a 2.2 for “Destilando Amor” and CW sixth with a 1.7 for “Gossip Girl.”
 
At 10 p.m. NBC led with a 3.1 for another hour of “Last Comic Standing,” with CBS second with a 2.4 for a repeat of “CSI: NY.” ABC was third with a 2.0 for “Primetime” and Univision fourth with a 1.7 for “Don Francisco Presenta.”
 
Among households, CBS led the night with a 5.9 average overnight rating and a 10 share. NBC was second at 5.2/9, Fox third at 4.8/8, ABC fourth at 3.9/7, CW fifth at 2.8/5 and Univision sixth at 2.1/4.