Quick Take for Sunday, October 31, 2010 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

"Desperate Housewives" Stands as Sunday's No. 1 Entertainment Program on Halloween in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49 for the 3rd Week in a Row

"Brothers & Sisters" Beats CBS' "CSI: Miami" at 10pm in All Key Women Demos

"Desperate Housewives" (9:00-10:00 p.m.)

On Halloween, airing against NBC's "Sunday Night Football" (Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New Orleans Saints) and Fox's 2010 World Series - Game 4, ABC's "Desperate Housewives" stood as Sunday's No. 1 entertainment TV show in both Total Viewers (11.0 million) and Adults 18-49 (3.5/9) for the 3rd week in a row. "Housewives" beat its regular time period competition, CBS' "Undercover Boss," (10.4 million & 2.9/7) by 6% in Total Viewers and by 21% in Adults 18-49.

"Brothers & Sisters" (10:00-11:00 p.m.)

ABC's "Brothers & Sisters" beat its CBS drama competition, "CSI: Miami," across each of the key Women demographics: Women 18-34 (2.4/7 vs. 2.2/6), Women 18-49 (3.3/9 vs. 3.1/8) and Women 25-54 (4.4/11 vs. 3.9/11).

A note about increasing DVR penetration and year-to-year rating comparisons: Year-to-year rating comparisons based on the Live + Same Day data stream are distorted by the level of DVR penetration in the Nielsen sample, which has jumped up to 38% currently, from 33% at the same point in 2009. More viewers are watching shows on their own timetables, which may not be reflected in the overnight next day numbers. The only truly valid year-to-year comparison would be one based on the Live + 7 Day metric, once those stats are released by Nielsen.

Source: The Nielsen Company (Fast Affiliate, Live + Same Day Ratings), 10/31/10.