Happy Valentines Day For 'Cougar Town' Fans

It only took nine months, but "Cougar Town" is finally coming back.

The Courteney Cox series will step in where "Work It" left off, taking over its Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. timeslot beginning Feb. 14.

That's an hour and day earlier than it aired last year, but will be without some of the breaks caused by failed experiments of "Happy Endings" and "Mr. Sunshine."

Last season, "Cougar Town" averaged a 4.1 rating/7 share, according to Fast National overnight ratings from The Nielsen Co. It was ABC's 14th highest-rated program, and was ranked No. 54 overall after losing nearly 11 percent of its audience from its previous year.

If "Cougar Town" is going to survive, however, it's going to have to build on its audience. "Man Up," which was cancelled after airing eight episodes in the timeslot, averaged a 4.1/6, while "Work It" managed a 3.5/6 in just two episodes.

"Last Man Standing," the lead-in show at 8 p.m., is averaging a 6.0/9, but has been struggling as well. The Tim Allen vehicle has averaged a 5.0/8 in its last four episodes, a 17 percent drop from its overall average, and a 38 percent drop from its premiere.

The last time "Last Man Standing" achieved a 6.0 household rating was Nov. 29, but even then that was the first time in more than a month it reached it.

Coupling it with a veteran show like "Cougar Town" could help, however, especially with older viewers nostalgic for the days of "Home Improvement" and "Friends." Also, Cox has received some media attention of her own in recent months following what has been a very amicable separation from her husband, actor David Arquette.

ABC has only ordered 15 episodes of the show this year, but a solid 2012 could bring more episodes in the fall, or at the very least, as a mid-season replacement once again.