Could Tim Allen's 'Last Man Standing' be a hit?

"Last Man Standing," the most critically reviled offering of the new fall season, got off to an explosive start last night: ABC just released figures saying an average 13 million viewers watched the back-to-back first and second episode premiere. And get this shocker: ABC says the launch, with a 3.5 rating in the young adult demo, was the highest rated launch of any comedy series at 8 since 2004. 

The show is awful, but "awful" never stopped viewers, and I suspect more than a few were terrifically curious about the press. I mean, it's not often a show is declared so bad that it could cause actual mental health issues among those who witnessed this fiasco. One critic mused that the studio audience was held at gunpoint, and forced to laugh when the prompt sign lit up. That kind of show you have to see. 

But of course, the real reason is Tim Allen: He's a major star and major stars have a way of attracting a crowd. Did viewers hate the show? I'll bet many did not, and here's why -- ABC says the numbers held steady half-hour to half-hour. They wanted even more!