Desperate Housewives

The last taped episode of Desperate Housewives (CTV, Sunday 9pm), that revealed the outcome of the deadly tornado, managed to easily dominate the weekly chart during the first week of 2008. In fact, CTV shows occupy positions 1 through 9 in terms of the most popular programs on Canadian television. Some of the most successful ones are the back-to-back episodes of Law and Order (CTV, Wednesday 9pm), and the twelfth edition of Amazing Race (CTV, Sunday 8pm). The Simpsons (Global, Sunday 8pm) was Global's most appealing airing, and the only non-CTV show in the top-ten chart. Although close to the million viewers, the Air Farce New Year Eve special (CBC, Monday 8pm) was in the 16th position, obscured by CTV's offers and CBC's airings of hockey.

No Canadian shows appeared in the top 10 TV programs chart last week. American Idol's Performance night is still at the top of the chart, but reached a slightly lower audience number compared to last week's peak of almost 3 million viewers. House made it to the second place, with close to 2.85 million viewers across Canada. The fact that numbers were so surprisingly close to those of American Idol's, makes it seem as if Canadians were watching Fox's broadcast of both shows rather than CTV and Global's.