Desperate Housewives Reboot Could Happen Under One Condition, Says Creator

Desperate Housewives creator Marc Cherry was asked what would be needed for him to write a revival of the series, saying it could only happen under one condition. The show followed the lives of four women on Wisteria Lane, and the many secrets, mysteries, and scandals that lurked just beneath the surface. Desperate Housewives ran for eight seasons on ABC, producing 180 episodes and helping the careers of stars Teri Hatcher, Marcia Cross, Eva Longoria, and Felicity Huffman.

Desperate Housewives was a ratings hit, drawing in high numbers from countries around the world. The show was also nominated for 38 Primetime Emmy Awards, with Huffman winning for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for the series’ pilot episode. The ABC series became a cultural phenomenon, with its cast finding success following the series’ end and many prominent public figures, including Oprah Winfrey and former First Lady Laura Bush declaring themselves fans of the show. The show’s appeal was credited to its mixing of genres from comedy, mystery, and soap opera, leading to a broad audience.

Cherry, having found further success with his shows Devious Maids and Why Women Kill, was asked in an interview with EW to weigh in on the trend of TV revivals that are so commonly getting green-lit. Regarding a reboot of Desperate Housewives, Cherry said he would need to find a new idea similar to the one that fueled the original series. He also cited the strong cast that led to the show’s achievements. Not writing out the idea entirely, Cherry said “…it certainly would be great to try with more time and money.“

Series star, Cross, has already gone on record saying a Desperate Housewives reboot wouldn’t be feasible nowadays, citing that the original series had an average of 23 episodes per season, a number that isn’t very common now, with most shows having between 8 and 13 episodes in a given year. Cherry has also said in the past that with 180 episodes of the original series, the complete story for those characters has been told, lining up with his belief that he would need a fresh idea if he were to entertain a revival. With Cherry’s commitment to Why Women Kill, it’s unlikely that a reboot of Desperate Housewives will occur anytime soon.

With such a long run under it, the show’s cast and crew have gone on to find other accomplishments in television, even Huffman whose involvement in the college admissions scandal landed her in prison briefly. With so much of modern media banking on nostalgia for its content, it’s becoming exceedingly rare to find original high quality TV such as Succession and Hacks. Perhaps with Cherry’s own reluctance to revive Desperate Housewives, audiences should instead look to his new and current projects to find all the soapy drama they’ve come to love.

Source: EW

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