The bizarrely entertaining “Splash,” the newest network reality show where D-list celebs learn how to dive from a high platform, is the unexpected hit of the year.
The show debuted Tuesday night with nearly 9 million viewers — the biggest reality TV premiere since Simon Cowell’s “The X Factor” two years ago.
Widely thought to be a sure belly flop, the opening-night success of “Splash” seemed to have taken all the TV experts by surprise.
SEE: KATHERINE WEBB TRAINING FOR “SPLASH”
Variety called the show “little more than an oddity” and, convinced no one would watch based on the cheesy promos ABC had been running, The Post chose not review it.
Turned out “Splash” beat everything else on TV at that time except “NCIS,” TV’s top-rated show.
“Splash” is sort of a more dangerous version of “Dancing With the Stars,” where celebrities such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Miss Alabama Katharine Webb (who made a splash of another sort last January when she attended the national championship college football game), comic Louie Anderson, former “Cosby” TV daughter Keshia Knight Pulliam and Playboy Playmate Kendra Wilkinson compete by diving off ever-higher platforms. Former Olympic gold-medal diver Greg Louganis is the instructor.