‘Housewives’ takes the night

Viewers still have plenty of appetite for the suburban antics on Wisteria Lane.

ABC’s “Desperate Housewives” returned for its second season Sunday night with its second-highest number yet, gathering 28.2 million viewers, according to preliminary figures from Nielsen Media Research. The show also lifted the season premiere of the medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy” to 19.5 million, handing ABC an easy victory for the night.

CBS’ numbers were somewhat distorted due to a late football game in some markets, but its made-for-TV movie “Martha Behind Bars,” with Cybill Shepherd as Martha Stewart, failed to deliver, with just 7.6 million viewers tuning in during the 10 p.m. hour. NBC’s “The West Wing” limped into its seventh season with 8.8 million viewers.

On Friday, CBS looked strong with its new Jennifer Love Hewitt thriller, “Ghost Whisperer” (11.4 million).