Nicollette Sheridan's departure from Desperate Housewives failed to pull in the ratings TV bosses had hoped for -- the episode attracted 1.3 million less viewers than the season average.
Sheridan bowed out of her role as TV siren Edie Brit on Sunday, with her character being killed off in a dramatic car crash involving a power pole.
But the show's ratings were less than electrifying -- ABC chiefs were stunned to find that the star's climatic demise failed to persuade viewers to tune in.
The show's latest season has seen an average audience of 15.2 million, but Sheridan's exit only pulled in 13.9 million, according to Nielsen Media Research.
But network executives have put the lower figures down to a month-long break between original episodes.
Sheridan was cut from the show to cut costs, with show creator Marc Cherry admitting that he had been put under "tremendous pressure" to scale down the series' budgets.
The move didn't sit well with the actress, who warned: "(Killing off Edie) was a risky decision that could have devastating ramifications."
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