'Tripp' and fall: Bristol Palin's reality TV show 'got crushed' and 'failed'

The new reality TV series "Bristol Palin: Life's a Tripp" debuted Tuesday to dismal ratings and generally pessimistic reviews.

Bristol Palin, 21, is the daughter of former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Bristol shot from anonymity to fame during the 2008 presidential campaign when it was revealed that she was pregnant at age 17, and last year she earned a third-place finish on "Dancing With the Stars." The new Lifetime reality show focuses on Bristol and her 3-year-old son Tripp after they moved from their native Alaska to Southern California.

The ratings for Tuesday's premiere of "Life's a Tripp" were downright disappointing, according to E! Online. "When 'Life's a Tripp,' as aired on Lifetime, went head-to-head in the 10 p.m. Tuesday hour against MTV's 'Teen Mom,' the new cable show got crushed: 3.3 million viewers for 'Teen Mom' versus just 726,000 for 'Life's a Tripp.’ ”

Entertainment Weekly critic Darren Franich dismissed "Life's a Tripp" as Bristol Palin's misguided attempt to channel her inner Kardashian. "She is first and foremost a personality — she would have been called 'famous for being famous,' back when that phrase was an insult and not an endorsement. … The season premiere of 'Life’s a Tripp' saw Bristol Palin trying to go full Kardashian, to pitch herself as a character who is simultaneously approachable and decadent. She failed, quite visibly."

The Washington Post's Hank Stuever was even less flattering in his analysis of the new show: "Even if you have a lasting grudge against all things Palin, there’s no payoff here. It’s a new low for anyone who makes the mistake of watching."