US ratings: 'Supernatural', 'Housewives'

The CW has done exceptionally well this season so far, with veteran series Smallville and Supernatural posting some of their best ever numbers, Gossip Girl enjoying a bumper sophomore season and resurrected series 90210 getting off to a strong (re)start. Read on for more details in our latest update on the ratings from across the pond.

Smallville (The CW)
Now in its milestone eighth season - seven is the average lifespan for a popular show - the Superman spinoff continues to surpass expectations. Four eps in and the audience is averaging 4.13 million viewers, up from last season's 3.7 million average and on par with the average for season six. The figures are a far cry from the show's heyday, however: an average of 6.3 million watched season two back in 2002-03.

Supernatural (The CW)
Supernatural bounced back on September 18 with 3.96 million viewers, its best ratings since the hugely popular first season in 2005-06. Four eps in, the fourth season has averaged 3.45 million, considerably up on last season's 2.91 million and season two's 3.28 million.

Desperate Housewives (ABC)
Housewives began its fifth season on September 28 with a twist: the show jumped, Lost-style, five years into the future. A decent 18.84 million viewers tuned in for the premiere but more than three million switched off come weeks two and three. To date the season has averaged 16.56 million, its lowest performing season thusfar and down on last year's 18.2 million average. The show is still the third most-watched programme on USTV in the 18-49 demographic.

Ugly Betty (ABC)
Now in its third season, Ugly Betty is in slightly shaky shape. The show returned on September 25 with 9.78 million viewers and went on to shed 1.3 million in its following two episodes. For context, season one averaged 11.3 million (with a series premiere rating of 16.09 million) and the strike-shortened second season averaged out to 9.2 million. While the total viewership is decent, the 18-49 ratings aren't as good as one would expect. With an average of 3.74 million in the demo, the show's younger audience is actually down 11% on the ABC average.

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