ABC's red-hot "Desperate Housewives" drama has notched the highest number of viewers ever for the first-year series.

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Sunday's episode, which included the dramatic strangling of nosey neighbor Martha Huber, was seen by 27 million people, the New York Daily News reported Tuesday.

CBS' "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," the most-watched show for the season, averaged 24.4 million viewers last week because of slightly depressed holiday viewing.

Viewers of the ABC show seemed entranced by promotional ads that had one of the show's characters leaving.

But whether Huber is gone for good remains a question. Christine Estabrook, who plays the strangulation victim, said she was still at work.

"It's the biggest show on TV right now, so I was really disappointed," Estabrook told TV Guide about her character's untimely ending. "And I love the character. But, um, how can I put this to you ... I'm still shooting episodes."