See Also: 'Coming Home' Episode Guide

The last new episode of Desperate Housewives for the year ended on stable note, and followed after an excellent sweeps month for ABC.

According to figures released by MediaWeek, "Coming Home" scored a 17.5 rating with a 24 share. These figures mean that of all households in the United States with television sets, 17.5% were tuned into DH, as well as 24% of those households actually watching television on Sunday at 9:00pm. The show pulled a 11.0/24 rating in the coveted 18–49 demographic.

Here are this week's Desperate Housewives ratings in context:

Episode	Overnight	Viewers	18–49
This week's episode	17.5/24	25.40	11.0/24
This week's episode	17.8/25	25.73	11.1/24
This time last year	16.3/23	22.21	9.3/20
Series premiere	13.5/21	21.28	8.8/21
Series high	20.4/29	30.03	13.3/31

Although it was down slightly from last week in the overnights and total viewers, it still showed a solid and steady viewership. Numbers in the key 18–49 were virtually unchanged from last week. Desperate Housewives lead-out Grey's Anatomy had yet another increase in numbers, 14.2/21 rating, 20.75 million viewers and 9.5/23 in the 18–49 demographic.

Meanwhile, figures have been released that show ABC had a stellar sweeps period. The latest sweeps ran from November 3 to November 30, and in sweeps the networks try to gain most viewers in a bid to raise advertising revenue. ABC tied with CBS in the 18–49 demographic and won in the 18–34 category. ABC also managed to have five out of the top six programs in the 18–49 demographic, one of those being Desperate Housewives.

Steve Grubbs, CEO of media agency PHD North America, told Mediaweek that they don't get too hung up on sweeps but that it was obvious ABC was on a winning streak. "We do base our buying more on a quarter-by-quarter basis, so the sweeps are not that important, but it is very apparent to us that ABC certainly will have great momentum going forward," he said.

MediaWeek's original ratings report, written by Programming Insider Marc Berman, can be found by following this link. More on the Sweeps results can be found here.

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