Romance isn't the only thing that's proving challenging for ABC's new sitcom 'Romantically Challenged.' Apparently, its ratings are facing an uphill battle, too.

According to the Live Feed, the Alyssa Milano vehicle delivered "average" ratings on its Monday night debut, with a reasonable 11.6 million watchers and 3.1 in the adult demo. For any other timeslot, the bow would likely have been seen as a success, but with an epic lead-in from 'Dancing With the Stars' (which captured 20.8 million viewers and a 4.7 share), plus a couple minutes worth of overrun from the reality hit which likely boosted the numbers from 'Challenged,' the midseason sitcom could be in trouble before it's even begun.



To put things in perspective: CBS' rerun of geeky comedy 'The Big Bang Theory' actually surpassed the numbers for 'Challenged,' with 11.7 million viewers and a 4.0 share in the timeslot.

Critical reaction to the sitcom has been mixed thus far, with Variety labeling the series "comedically challenged." The story centers around Rebecca (Milano), a recently divorced single mom who wants to get back into the dating scene with the help of her sister Lisa (Kelly Stables), and buddies Perry (Kyle Bornheimer) and Shawn (Josh Lawson).

Elsewhere in ratings, Fox and CBS both showed gains in their slots, with 'House' holding steady at 10.6 million (4.0), while '24' improved 12 percent, with 8.9 million viewers and a 2.8 share. A new episode of 'How I Met Your Mother' brought CBS 7.7 million (3.2), with a new 'CSI: Miami' climbing to 11.7 million (3.3) at 10PM.

This time last year, the quickly-canceled 'Surviving Suburbia' premiered to 3.0 in the 'Challenged' time slot, and right now we're on the fence about whether 'Challenged' will fare much better. We guess Alyssa Milano's career isn't looking so 'Charmed' after all. (Sorry, we couldn't resist.)

For more on the premiere of 'Romantically Challenged',' check out our recap.