FLASH FORWARD FOR THE CW

The series debut of The Flash gave the struggling CW network its strongest premiere in five years Tuesday night. With a 1.8 rating among the 18-49 age group, the show, which described how the Barry Allen character became the fastest man alive after being struck by lightning, was the fifth-most-watched show in the demo on Tuesday, according to Nielsen Research. The network, which usually ranks fifth among the broadcast networks, ranked third for the night in the demo, thanks to The Flash — coming in ahead of ABC and Fox. The Los Angeles Times reported that the CW had originally planned to air the show, which stars Grant Gustin as Allen, a 8:00 p.m. on Mondays — but backed off because of the strong competition, which included Fox’s Gotham. That show and The Flash are both produced by Warner Bros. TV, which also owns 50 percent of The CW.