Desperate Housewives (2004–2012)

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

Creator:

Marc Cherry

Stars:

Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross

Won 3 Golden Globes. Another 49 wins & 127 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Teri Hatcher	...	Susan Mayer (180 episodes, 2004-2012)
Felicity Huffman	...	Lynette Scavo (180 episodes, 2004-2012)
Marcia Cross	...	Bree Van De Kamp (180 episodes, 2004-2012)
Eva Longoria	...	Gabrielle Solis (180 episodes, 2004-2012)
Ricardo Chavira	...	Carlos Solis (180 episodes, 2004-2012)
Brenda Strong	...	Mary Alice Young (180 episodes, 2004-2012)
James Denton	...	Mike Delfino (180 episodes, 2004-2012)
Doug Savant	...	Tom Scavo (175 episodes, 2004-2012)
Shawn Pyfrom	...	Andrew Van De Kamp (112 episodes, 2004-2012)
Nicollette Sheridan	...	Edie Britt (111 episodes, 2004-2009)
Andrea Bowen	...	Julie Mayer (105 episodes, 2004-2012)
Kyle MacLachlan	...	Orson Hodge (96 episodes, 2006-2012)
Brent Kinsman	...	Preston Scavo (88 episodes, 2004-2011)
Shane Kinsman	...	Porter Scavo (88 episodes, 2004-2011)
Kathryn Joosten	...	Karen McCluskey (87 episodes, 2005-2012)
Zane Huett	...	Parker Scavo (81 episodes, 2004-2010)
Mark Moses	...	Paul Young (74 episodes, 2004-2011)

Storyline

The "normal" suburban life for a group of close-knit housewives takes a dark turn when one of their closest friends mysteriously commits suicide. Now while trying to deal with their own hectic problems and romantic lives, each year brings on a new mystery and more dark and twisted events to come. Life behind closed doors is about to be revealed as suburban life takes a funny and dark turn.

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Plot Keywords:

secret | blackmail | suicide | friend | neighborhood | 

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Taglines:

It's extra Juicy!

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

TV-14

Details

Official Sites:

ABC [us] Canal+ [fr]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 October 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

Beautés déséspérées

Filming Locations:

Universal City, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cherry Alley Productions, Cherry Productions, Touchstone Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

45 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Season 6 episodes that have Stephen Sondheim song titles or lyric references as their show titles (Except where denoted):

• 6.1: Nice is Different from Good (Lyric line from "I Know Things Now" from Into the Woods)
• 6.2: Being Alive (Song Title from Company)
• 6.3: Never Judge a Lady by Her Lover (Lyric line from "Ah, But Underneath" from the London production of Follies
• 6.4: The God-Why-Don't-You-Love-Me Blues (Song Title aka "Buddy's Blues" from Follies)
• 6.5:Everybody Ought to Have a Maid (Song title from A Funny Thing Happened On the Way To The Forum)
• 6.6: Don't Walk On The Grass (Lyric line from Everyone Says Don't from Anyone Can Whistle)
• 6.7 Careful The Things You Say (Lyric line from Children Will Listen from Into the Woods)
• 6.8: The Coffee Cup (Lyric Line from Losing My Mind from Follies)
• 6.9: Would I Think Of Suicide? (Lyric line from Could I Leave You? from Follies)
• 6.10 Boom Crunch (Song Title. Cut from Into the Woods)
• 6.11: If (Early title for the song It Would Have Been Wonderful from A Little Night Music.)
• 6.12 You Gotta Have a Gimmick (from Gypsy. Music by Jules Styne)
• 6.13 How About A Friendly Shrink? (Lyric line From A Country House from the London version of Follies and also in Putting It Together)
• 6.14 The Glamorous Life (Song Title from A Little Night Music)
• 6.15 Lovely (Song Title from A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to the Forum)
• 6.16 The Chase (Instrumental from film version of A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum)
• 6.17 Chromolume No. 7 (Instrumental from Sunday In the Park With George)
• 6.18 My Two Young Men (Song Title from Bounce)
• 6.19 We All Deserve to Die (Lyric line from the song "Epiphany" from Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street)
• 6.20 Epiphany (Song title from Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street)
• 6.21 A Little Night Music (Title of show)
• 6.22 The Ballad of Booth (Song Title from Assassins)
• 6.23 I Guess This Is Goodbye (Song Title from Into the Woods)

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Goofs

Although the creators of the show keep the location of Wisteria Lane a secret, several clues have been given that contradict each other. For example, in the first season the restaurant Saddle Ranch is featured once, suggesting that the mystery location is either in California or Arizona, where the restaurant has locations. However, two families, the Applewhites and the Mayfairs had moved from Chicago suggesting that Fairview is near there. Those two cities are very far from each other. When Renee (Vanessa Williams) arrives she tells Lynette that she flew all the way across the country to see her. Renee lives in NYC so that would suggest Fairview is on the west coast of the United States. There is also a scene where Suzy is looking for her ex-husband's grandmother's ring. You can see a sign for US Highway 7 which runs from Norwalk, CT, to just south of the Canadian border in Vermont.

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Quotes

Betty Applewhite: Bree, us widows have to stick together.

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Crazy Credits

The credits contain references to famous pieces of art, including Adam and Eve by Lucas Cranach the Elder, The Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van Eyck, American Gothic by Grant Wood, and Andy Warhol's Campbell's soup can. Also alluded to are the lesser known Couple Arguing and Romantic Couple by Robert Dale (drawn in a comic book style similar to that of Roy Liechtenstein) and a 1940s "Am I Proud!" poster by Dick Williams (showing a woman holding cans).

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Connections

Referenced in 30 Rock: The Head and the Hair (2007)

User Reviews

Desperately Wanting More

I'm gonna address something in a serious tone, that is way unlike the premiere of Desperate Housewives. Television, has gotten entirely too serious. It has! Even its comedies can be horribly depressing.

As I sat watching the premiere of Desperate Housewives, I found myself doing something I haven't done in quite some time, and that is "smiling," No, I mean, a huge smile, a GRIN of thankfulness.

I have a theory that most pilot scripts suck, because they are establishing a series, I have hardly ever liked a PILOT script, even if they do their job well which is establish character and the mood of the show. The great story telling comes after the pilot.

The only good pilot I have seen in recent years, was the pilot for ALIAS (brilliant) now a week ago, I saw the PILOT for LOST (edge of your seat good). But even those were topped by the intricate, hysterical, amazing pilot script for DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES. If the writers are out there, reading this, 1. Thank You. 2. why are you reading this, get to writing more of this wonderful show.

They also have gotten a superb cast of women. OLDER WOMEN! WOMEN WOMEN, not some 20 something year olds with bland looks on their faces and pouty lips! But Talented, amazing, beautiful, WOMEN (and I'm a guy in my 20's) I appreciate that... WOMEN over 40 ROCK! I speak of course of Felicity Huffman, who can do more with one line of Dialogue, than any other actress I know. This show, brings also the RETURN of Terri Hatcher, THANK GOD! It's about TIME!! And it also brings me, MARCIA CROSS, an actress who should have been given an EMMY for her brilliant, heartbreaking work in EVERWOOD last season.

The producers/Direction/showrunners of the show, have established a look for the show. it's American BEAUTY on ACID. A gorgeous use of color and cinematography, of scoring, and well, I mention it again, because it's so important... GREAT WRITING!

On every level, the PILOT for DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES impresses. It has bite, humor and heart. I hope that it will be around for a long time. But even this one episode is enough to remind people everywhere, that network television can still be FUN!