“Oprah’s Big Give” on ABC is the latest example. “Give” drew 15.6 million total viewers, third best for a new show this season, riding on host Oprah Winfrey's daytime success.

First is Fox’s “Moment of Truth,” which leads out of “American Idol,” the ultimate sure-fire cushion for any new show.

Second is Fox’s “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles,” which had a double-whammy working in its favor. It's derived from the "Terminator" movies and it premiered behind a highly rated NFL playoff game.

“Give,” in which Winfrey gives contestants money to spend on other people, also performed well among adults 18-49, averaging a 5.3 rating, and putting it among the year’s top 10 new premieres.

The program’s premise is nothing special but it came with a huge built-in following from her No. 1 daytime talk show and her magazine, O, the Oprah Magazine, which has a circulation topping 2 million.

Similarly, the season’s other top shows among 18-49s had a base of already engaged viewers to draw on. Or they were based on prior hits.

ABC’s top-rated new drama, “Private Practice,” is a spinoff of last season’s No. 1 scripted drama on broadcast, “Grey’s Anatomy.”

NBC’s “Bionic Woman,” last fall’s No. 1 premiere, was based on a 1970s show of the same name.

NBC's “American Gladiators,” the year’s No. 2 new reality show behind “Truth,” was based on a syndicated show that aired almost two decades ago.

At the same time, critically acclaimed new shows like CBS’s “Cane,” ABC’s “Dirty Sexy Money,” CW’s “Reaper” and NBC’s “Life” have struggled to find audiences. 

And even where a new show does get a strong start, there's a high risk it will see ratings decline.

Case in point: ABC's No. 1 new comedy, “Samantha Who?.” It aired behind the network’s most-watched show, “Dancing with the Stars,” giving it great initial sampling, but when “Stars” went off the air, “Who” lost nearly half its audience.

Even shows that premiered big, like “Connor” and “Woman,” have struggled to keep their audiences. Both saw steep falloffs in the following weeks. Viewers were willing to sample the shows but were reluctant to commit longer-term.

“Truth,” the season’s No. 1 new show in both 18-49s and total viewers, saw its ratings fall by roughly half last week when it moved from Wednesday behind “Idol” to Monday to lead off the night.

What's it all mean? Not much that's encouraging for several new shows.

One is Fox’s “Canterbury’s Law,” which premieres on Monday. Another is Fox's “New Amsterdam,” whose first two episodes follow "Idol" episodes but then moves to a tough Monday berth.

There's also ABC’s “Miss Guided,” which will premiere after “Stars” this month before moving to lead off Thursday nights.