Desperate Housewives remains a ratings juggernaut

ABC mopped the prime-time field again Sunday with Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy, while CBS's TV movie The Hunt for the BTK Killer got slaughtered. Housewives, from gay creator Marc Cherry, towered over the night as usual with an average of 25.7 million viewers and 10.9 rating and 24 share in the adults age 18-49 demographic for the 9 p.m. hour, according to preliminary estimates from Nielsen Media Research. Grey's Anatomy hung tough at 10 p.m. with an average of 18.5 million viewers and 8.2 and 19 in the 18-49 group; Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (15 million, 6.1 and 15) did its part for the ABC cause in the 8 p.m. hour.

The Hunt for the BTK Killer, about Kansas's notorious serial killer, pulled in just 8.6 million viewers and a 2.6 and 6 demo score from 9-11 p.m. CBS was better off at 8 p.m. with drama Cold Case (15.8 million, 4.0 and 10). NBC was in line with its season averages so far with its drama slate of 8 p.m.'s The West Wing (8.1 million, 2.5 and 6), 9 p.m.'s Law & Order: Criminal Intent (12.5 million, 3.8 and 8), and Crossing Jordan (12.8 million, 3.8 and 9).

Fox's live coverage of game 4 of the American League divisional playoff series between the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and New York Yankees delivered a healthy 9.7 rating and 15 share in Nielsen's top "metered" markets (reliable national estimates for Fox's live game coverage won't be available until Tuesday), which marked a 45% increase over the comparable National League divisional playoff game that ran on the same night last year. For the night, it was ABC by a mile with an average of 17 million viewers and 7.0 and 17 among adults age 18-49. Fox was expected to run second in both measures. (Cynthia Littleton, via Reuters)