"Desperate Housewives" (2004) TV series 2004-????

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Creator:

Marc Cherry

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | unknown

Release Date:

3 October 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

The guilty pleasure returns

Plot:

Secrets and truths unfold through the lives of female friends in one suburban neighborhood, after the mysterious suicide of a neighbor.

Plot Keywords:

Secret | Blackmail | Suicide | Friend | Plumber

Awards:

Won 3 Golden Globes. Another 37 wins & 104 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sun. July 12	9:00 PM	ABC	Mama Spent Money When She Had None	#5.14
Sun. July 12	11:00 PM	MyNetwork	Welcome to Kanagawa	#4.10

Cast

Teri Hatcher	...	Susan Mayer / ... (112 episodes, 2004-2009)
Felicity Huffman	...	Lynette Scavo (112 episodes, 2004-2009)
Marcia Cross	...	Bree Hodge / ... (112 episodes, 2004-2009)
Eva Longoria Parker	...	Gabrielle Solis / ... (112 episodes, 2004-2009)
Nicollette Sheridan	...	Edie Britt (112 episodes, 2004-2009)
Ricardo Chavira	...	Carlos Solis (112 episodes, 2004-2009)
James Denton	...	Mike Delfino (112 episodes, 2004-2009)
Brenda Strong	...	Mary Alice Young (111 episodes, 2004-2009)
Doug Savant	...	Tom Scavo (107 episodes, 2004-2009)
Shawn Pyfrom	...	Andrew Van De Kamp (96 episodes, 2004-2009)
Andrea Bowen	...	Julie Mayer (87 episodes, 2004-2008)
Brent Kinsman	...	Preston Scavo (86 episodes, 2004-2008)
Shane Kinsman	...	Porter Scavo (86 episodes, 2004-2008)
Zane Huett	...	Parker Scavo (80 episodes, 2004-2008)
Joy Lauren	...	Danielle Van De Kamp (72 episodes, 2004-2008)
Kyle MacLachlan	...	Orson Hodge (68 episodes, 2006-2009)
Cody Kasch	...	Zach Young (52 episodes, 2004-2007)
Mark Moses	...	Paul Young (51 episodes, 2004-2007)
Kathryn Joosten	...	Karen McCluskey / ... (50 episodes, 2004-2009)

Runtime:

45 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Finland:K-11 (DVD rating) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) (video rating) | Canada:14A (Manitoba) (video rating) | Malaysia:U | Singapore:M18 (season 2) | Germany:12 | Ireland:15 | UK:15 | Spain:18 | Netherlands:12 | South Korea:18 | Singapore:PG (season 1) (season 3) | Hungary:16 (DVD rating) | Singapore:NC-16 (season 4) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | USA:TV-14 | Mexico:B | Portugal:M/12 | USA:TV-PG (some episodes)

Filming Locations:

First Christian Church of North Hollywood - 4390 Colfax Avenue, Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Cherry Alley Productions

Trivia:

The first television series to win the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series for a show that had not yet completed its first season.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Xiao-Mei would never be able to be a surrogate without having a child of her own first. All reputable surrogacy agencies in the US require their surrogates to have had at least one full-term, live birth before becoming a surrogate.

Quotes:

[Rex has asked for a divorce in a family restaurant]
Rex: Are we gonna talk about what I said?
Bree: If you think I'm gonna discuss the dissolution of my marriage in a place where the restrooms are labeled Chicks and Dudes, you are out of your mind.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in I Could Never Be Your Woman (2007)

Enjoyable for both sexes due to its witty dark humor

I had approached "Desperate Housewives" with a certain amount of suspicion as I was never a fan by any means of "Sex and the City" and thought this would basically be the same sort of show. In some ways, it is. Men are still represented the same way -- to be blunt, idiots -- and it's still very targeted towards females.

However what I found is that "Desperate Housewives" contains a very funny satirical, dark edge to its humor that elevates it above "Sex and the City" and some other such shows that were previously on television... as a result it can be enjoyed by men and women -- if you like dark suburban comedies such as "The War of the Roses" and "The 'burbs" you'll probably love this.

It centers around a neighborhood of housewives who are trying to figure out who may or may not have killed one of their friends, a woman who supposedly committed suicide.

Meanwhile the show focuses on their relationships, trials and tribulations, mainly the character of Teri Hatcher, who is the one we are meant to feel the most sympathy for.

Although "Desperate Housewives" is rather silly at times and perhaps a bit too smug and clever for its own good, I find it very easy to watch and one of the better entertainments available on television at the time. I'd recommend it to anyone who can appreciate absurd dark humor set in a realistic environment. It's just good fun!