Welcome to Sophomore Slumpology 101.

You know what we’re talking about. A TV show that sizzles in its first season … then starts to fizzle in the second.

A recent case in point: “Desperate Housewives.”

Remember the madcap Wisteria hysteria during the sly suburban soap opera’s amazing first season in 2004- 05? Pumped up on rave reviews and clever storytelling, “Housewives” became an instant pop culture sensation and drew 23 million viewers.

And then along came the second season. Hello, slump.

Critics carped. And even the producers agreed that “Housewives” had misplaced its creative mojo. So the buzz abated. And the average weekly audience dropped to 21.7 million, still Top 10, but heading in the wrong direction.

Well, three’s the charm. In a rejuvenated third season, the women of Wisteria Lane have relocated their funny, mystery-laced zing. The ratings inched back up to 22 million weekly viewers, making “Desperate Housewives” No. 1 for the season so far.

So how about this year’s sophomore class?

Who’s slumping, who’s not? Hint: “Criminal Minds” is a sophomore superstar. “Everybody Hates Chris” is not.

Also, because CBS is the No. 1 network and had a lot more success with its 2005 fall freshman class, the Eye has the biggest group of sophomores.

Just remember, there are two ways to measure the sophomore slump tendencies of a TV series. One is show quality, the other ratings performance. Sometimes a show scores high on one, not so well on the other.

But we’ll leave the final say to our visiting professors of slumpology, Capt. Video and A.C. Nielsen.

OK, sophomores, come get your report cards.

“CRIMINAL MINDS”

CBS

WEDNESDAY

Mandy Patinkin heads a band of FBI profilers who track down psycho killers and solve bloody whodunit tales.

Quality control: Something’s clicking big time with the luridly well-done, serial killer-obsessed crime procedural.

By the numbers: “Minds” has jumped into the top 10, seen its weekly audience grow from 12.6 million to 16.7 million viewers and is in a virtual dead heat with “Lost” on Wednesdays.

Slumping or not: Not! A-minus.

“EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS”

CW

MONDAY

Chris Rock narrates the sly comic stories of his adolescent years growing up in Brooklyn.

Quality control: The best family comedy on TV has maintained its wise, witty irreverence, with Terry Crews a standout as father Julius.

By the numbers: Life on the new CW network is tough. The weekly audience for “Chris” has dwindled from 4.2 million last year on UPN to 2.9 million this season. Ouch.

Slumping or not: Sad to say, most definitely yes. D-plus.

“THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE”

CBS

MONDAY

Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays a frequently exasperated divorced mother with a cute son and a wryly unflappable ex-husband.

Quality control: Slapstick with smarts and a talented star who broke the “Seinfeld” curse. And the additional camera time for sarcastic gal pal Wanda Sykes is a shrewd, funny move.

By the numbers: Though the weekly audience has declined slightly from 12.5 million to 12.3 million, “Old Christine” is a solid sitcom playmate for “Two and a Half Men.”

Slumping or not: Not. B-plus.

“WHAT ABOUT BRIAN”

ABC

MONDAY

Barry Watson (“7th Heaven”) is single, soulful, doleful Brian in the romantically tangled tales of a chatty group of longtime L.A. friends.

Quality control: Slickly told, largely innocuous stories about slightly bohemian yuppies benefit somewhat from an attractive cast.

By the numbers: Inching upward; the weekly audience rose from a very mediocre 6.3 million to a little less mediocre 6.7 million.

Slumping or not: Nope. Not when you have J.J. Abrams (“Lost”) as your well-connected producer and have received a slightly mystifying full season renewal. C-plus.

“MY NAME IS EARL”

NBC

THURSDAY

Jason Lee is the merry karma prankster from the sticks who keeps comic spirits high, with big help from Jaime Pressly’s trailer park hellcat.

Quality control: Producer Greg Garcia’s sweetly daft boondocks lampoon remains fresh and rambunctiously funny.

By the numbers: With hot new competition from ABC’s clever “Ugly Betty,” the audience for “Earl” has dropped from 10.7 million to 9.2 million. But NBC remains a big fan.

Slumping or not: Not much, thanks to TiVo and online viewing options. B-minus.

“THE WAR AT HOME”

FOX

SUNDAY

A loud, lowbrow dysfunctional family sitcom, “War” stars Michael Rapaport and Anita Barone as the embattled parents of three scheming teens.

Quality control: Shouldn’t this be low quality control? Al Bundy wouldn’t even watch.

By the numbers: On the down escalator; it has declined from 7.2 million last year to 5.6 million this year as NBC’s Sunday Night Football takes a big bite.

Slumping or not: Fortunately, yes. D.

“HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER”

CBS

MONDAY

The loopy romantic comedy about five New York friends has a likable, well-matched cast.

Quality control: Sometimes very witty, sometimes only mildly amusing. But Neil Patrick Harris’ bodacious suit boy Barney is the funny money.

By the numbers: A minimal viewership drop from 9.4 million to 9.3 million.

Slumping or not: Not really. B.

“DEAL OR NO DEAL”

NBC

MONDAY

Jabbering chrome dome Howie Mandel scores his improbable comeback as a game show host in this avaricious, no-brainer guess fest with lots of bells, whistles and leggy, suitcase-carrying models.

Quality control: Yeah, right.

By the numbers: Dropped slightly from 15.6 million to 15.3 million, still No. 13 overall in the seasonal Nielsens.

Slumping or not: Not. B-plus.

“GHOST WHISPERER”

CBS

FRIDAY

Psychic sweetie pie Jennifer Love Hewitt chats up dead people, helping these wandering spirits find the stairway to heaven while reaching out to their surviving loved ones.

Quality control: Still in the schmaltzy, sentimental groove; Camryn Manheim replaced killed-off Aisha Tyler as Hewitt’s gal pal.

By the numbers: Feeling good, the weekly viewing audience rose from 10.1 million to 10.7 million.

Slumping or not: Not. B.

“CLOSE TO HOME”

CBS

FRIDAY

Jennifer Finnigan stars as humorless crusading prosecutor and devoted mother Annabeth Chase in a grim suburban crime procedural.

Quality control: Nothing special. But like every other CBS procedural, it rolls along as slickly well- crafted escapism for crime drama fans.

By the numbers: Annabeth’s moving on up. The weekly audience increased from 10.2 million to 11.5 million.

Slumping or not: Not a bit. B-plus.

“SUPERNATURAL”

CW

THURSDAY

The paranormal adventures of brothers Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) Winchester as they hunt mysterious demons and otherworldly gremlins.

Quality control: The only network series of its kind, a horror-laced creep show with cool special effects; makes a nice Thursday night tag team partner for “Smallville.”

By the numbers: Not so hot. There was a slight drop from 3.7 million to 3.6 million viewers. But it’s in a killer 9 o’clock Thursday spot opposite “CSI” and “Grey’s Anatomy,” so the CW can’t be too distraught.

Slumping or not: Not really. B-minus.

“THE UNIT”

CBS

TUESDAY

Dennis Haysbert (“24”) is the manly man who leads a crew of elite Army Rangers on covert global missions in action tales from testosterone-happy producers David Mamet and Shawn Ryan (“The Shield”).

Quality control: Solid as a rock, with interwoven stories of the macho men’s strong-willed women offering a home front counterpoint.

By the numbers: Hurting. Down from last spring’s 15.5 million to 12.2 million this fall. Perhaps a casualty of America’s disenchantment with the Iraq War, but more likely just damaged by the fall phenomenon “Dancing With the Stars.”

Slumping or not: Sir, yes sir. C-plus.