After two days of glowing headlines for the CW, you just knew everybody’s favorite hard-luck network was going to have a change of fortune: Despite the CW’s stellar start this week with the return of “Gossip Girl” and unveiling of “90210,” Wednesday night’s “America’s Next Top Model” premiere was the lowest-rated in the network’s history.

The two-hour “Top Model” premiere (3.5 million viewers, 1.7 preliminary adults 18-49 rating and a 5 share) was down 11% from last February’s cycle, and down 32% from last September in the adult demo. Among the network’s 18-34 demo (1.9/6), the drops were steeper. It marks the lowest-rated premiere since the show debuted in 2003 on UPN.

Given all the heavy advertising of “90210″ and “Gossip” running up to their premieres, it seems conceivable (if not highly likely) that efforts to promote awareness of the soap dramas may have come at the expense of the network’s highest-rated show. Then again, after running two editions for the past five years or so one would think “Model” fans would either not need too much prompting, or, more probable, feel the show is long in the tooth. This is Cycle 11, which is an extraordinary run for a reality show, and “Model” has slipped in the ratings for a few editions now. If the premiere week ratings horse race doesn’t change over the course of the season, the CW will have a new top-rated series.

SPEAK UP!: Did any of you watch it? I could not believe how TERRIBLE it was. WTF was up with all the Sci-Fi crap!? It was embarrassing to watch!

Here are the pictures from last night’s photo shoot!