"Lone Star" Faces Cancellation After One Episode

NEW YORK (CBS) Updated 4:20 p.m. EST

Could "Lone Star" be sent out to pasture already?

The drama about a Texas conman leading a double life is on death watch after receiving dismal ratings during its series premiere Monday night.

"Lone Star" received just 4.1 million viewers for its debut. To compare, "Dancing with the Stars" took in 21.3 million viewers for its season premiere that night.

New York magazine's Vulture blog has confirmed that Lone Star isn't being canceled just yet. According to the report, Fox currently plans to keep the drama on the air for at least one more week.

But the numbers still don't bode well for the new show.

"Those are Friday night numbers on a Monday night premiere," Brad Adgate, a veteran TV analyst with Horizon Media, told The Hollywood Reporter. "That's a nice cable audience."

But the usual laughter that accompanies one-episode flameouts in the TV industry won't be present if "Lone Star" gets canceled, according to the report, because of the critical acclaim the show received in the days leading up to its premiere.

"No one in TV should be happy about this," one agent who represents a writer on the show told THR. "This is going to have a chilling effect on networks taking chances on anything but cookie-cutter shows."

Fox declined to comment. It's possible, the report notes, that the network is delaying the announcement of a decision and perhaps waiting for the cover that will be provided with today's "American Idol" judges announcement.

Did you watch "Lone Star" on Monday night? If not, what did you tune in for instead? Do you think it should live to see its second episode?