Weekly Ratings: 9/28 – 10/3

Sunday Ratings: The Future Looks Bright for Housewives 

7 pm/ET
The season premiere of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition averaged 9.55 million total viewers.

8 pm
The Amazing Race 13 placed third for the hour, premiering to 10.29 mil (down 25 percent from Cycle 12's launch). The Simpsons returned to an audience of 9.3 mil, dipping just 135K from its previous opener; King of the Hill led out with seven mil. 

9 pm
Housewives bested NBC's coverage of the Eagles-Bears with 18.44 mil, virtually matching last season's premiere. Cold Case (11.24 mil) dropped a mil. Family Guy (9.2 mil) built on King's audience, while American Dad (6.86 mil) was up 13 percent from its previous premiere. 

10 pm
Brothers & Sisters (12.35 mil) trailed football, but was down just seven percent from a year ago. The Unit (9.75 mil) lost nearly a mil from its previous, Tuesday-night season opener. 

Monday Ratings: How Did Chuck's Hot Date Go? 

8 pm/ET
Dancing with the Stars was the night's most-watched program, averaging 19.28 million total viewers (an eight percent dip) over its two-hour run. CBS' Big Bang (8.7 mil, down 650K) and Mother (8.8 mil, down 900 thou) placed second, followed by Chuck, which kicked off its sophomore run with 6.6 mil. That's off 29 percent from the NBC series' launch, yet on par with its latest airing (in January). Terminator (5.33 mil) lost another 480K, while Gossip Girl (3.54 mil) gained 190 thou. 

9 pm
Trailing DWTS, Two and a Half Men did 13.76 mil, shedding a million-plus from its season premiere; lead-out Worst Week (9.3 mil) in turn dropped 15 percent from its debut. Heroes (9.34 mil, down 550K) and a good episode of Prison Break (5.25 mil, down 680 thou) both took hits, while One Tree Hill (3.42 mil) saw a 320K increase. 

10 pm
CSI: Miami (14.3 mil) dominated, albeit with a 15 percent smaller audience that tuned in for its premiere. (Yes, Worst Week, all eyes are on you.) Boston Legal (9.8 mil) was up 380 thou from its opener. NBC's Life returned from a long, long absence to 6.9 mil viewers, a 32 percent plunge from its series bow but only a little shy of its most recent (December 2007!) outing. 

Tuesday Ratings: NCIS Steps on Dancing's Toes 

8 pm/ET
After nipping at DWTS' heels last week, NCIS this time around emerged as Tuesday's most-watched program, delivering 17.24 million total viewers. House (12.6 mil) topped the night in demos, and added 460K to its previous tally. Behind Biggest Loser (7.2 mil), Opportunity Knocks (six mil) found 800,000 fewer people to be home. 90210 (3.2 mil) bounced back from last week's dip. 

9 pm
Dancing with the Stars (15.14 mil) dropped 17 percent week-to-week, and even trailed The Mentalist (15.27 mil) in viewers. At 10 mil, Fringe was up 390 thou, while Privileged (1.88 mil) inched up juuuust a hair. 

10 pm
Without a Trace surged 11 percent to top the hour with 12.65 mil, though SVU (10.22 mil, up 720K) was No. 1 in demos. ABC's Half Their Size special (5.36 mil) ostensibly would have beaten a test pattern. 

Wednesday Ratings: CBS and NBC Kick Some Addison 

8 pm/ET
Bones handily topped the hour (and demos, with 9.82 million total viewers (up 220K week-to-week). Knight Rider (somehow) got a bit more gas — adding 260 thou to its debut numbers — to place second with 7.56 million. CBS' combo of Christine (6.86 million) and Gary (6.98 million) placed third, each gaining about 150 thou. Pushing Daisies returned to an audience of 6.3 million, down 11 percent from its last episode (12/12/07). Top Model held steady with 4 million. 

9 pm
Criminal Minds came out on top with 14.5 million, dipping 600K, followed by the America's Got Talent finale (12.55 million). (Deal or No Deal steps in for NBC next week.) Private Practice's Season 2 launch drew just 8 million, down 22 percent from its Season 1 sign-off. A pair of 'Til Deaths averaged 4.26 million. 

10 pm
CSI: NY reepated as Wednesday's most-watched program, with 14.67 million viewers. The Season 2 bow of Dirty Sexy Money placed second with 7.15 million, up a hair from its last episode (12/5/07). Lipstick Jungle dropped 13 percent week-to-week, hitting 5.3 million. 

Thursday Ratings: Gosh, VP Debate Draws a Darn Decent Crowd 

CBS' Survivor: Gabon — which is set in one of them foreign countries — was Thursday's most-watched program, delivering 12.85 million total viewers. Placing second during the 8 o'clock hour was Ugly Betty, which at 8.58 mil was down 12 percent from its season premiere. 

Back-to-back Earls did seven mil (up 600K week-to-week), while Smallville (3.95 mil) slipped just a hair. 

At 9 pm, Supernatural (3.67 mil) gained 310 thou. 

The Big 4's coverage of the vice-presidential debate drew in about 38.5 million viewers. 

Friday Ratings: Whisperer Makes Some Noise 

8 pm/ET
Ghost Whisperer was the evening's most-watched program, delivering 9.3 million total viewers, a seven percent increase over its year-ago opener. 5th Grader (5.8 mil) was a distant second, followed by Wife Swap, Toughest Jobs and the CW's returning comedy combo of Everybody Hates Chris (2.09 mil) and The Game (1.91 mil). 

9 pm
This is where Moonlight fans say, "Told you so!" The Ex List topped the first half-hour with 7.2 mil (or 73 percent retention coming out of GW), but ceded the lead to Deal or No Deal during its back half, dropping to 6.49 mil. Moonlight, Les Moonves will scold me for reminding you, premiered a year ago to 8.63 mil and even mustered 7.56 mil in its May finale. That said, the luminous Ms. Reaser appears to have drawn slightly better demos. Elsewhere, Fox's Lyrics (4.35 mil) edged out ABC's Supernanny (4.19 mil). 

10 pm
Numbers' numbers were down a mil from its previous premiere, but it still came out on top with 8.13 mil. 20/20 followed with 6.34 mil, while NBC's Life (5.44 mil) was down 74 percent from its Monday premiere.