History of Desperate Housewives in Timeline
Desperate Housewives, created by Marc Cherry, is an American mystery comedy-drama that aired on ABC for eight seasons (2004-2012), totaling 180 episodes. Produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions, with Cherry as showrunner. The show also featured executive producers like Bob Daily, George W. Perkins, and others from season four onwards.
1995: John Pardee and Joey Murphy Work on The Crew
In 1995, John Pardee and Joey Murphy, who later worked on Desperate Housewives, collaborated on Cherry's previous show, The Crew.
April 2002: Marc Cherry conceives idea for the series
In April 2002, Marc Cherry conceived the idea for Desperate Housewives while watching a news report on Andrea Yates. He was broke and struggling in his career at the time.
October 23, 2003: Desperate Housewives Announced by ABC
On October 23, 2003, Desperate Housewives was announced by ABC as a primetime soap opera created by Charles Pratt Jr. and Marc Cherry, drawing inspiration from Knots Landing and American Beauty.
2003: The O.C. Premieres
In 2003, The O.C. premiered on Fox and showed that a soap opera could succeed in prime time. This event influenced the decision of ABC executives to greenlight Desperate Housewives.
May 18, 2004: ABC Announces 2004-2005 Lineup
On May 18, 2004, ABC announced its 2004–2005 television lineup, placing Desperate Housewives in the Sunday at 9:00–10:00 p.m. ET timeslot.
October 3, 2004: Desperate Housewives Series Premiere
On October 3, 2004, Desperate Housewives, created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions, premiered on ABC. It aired for eight seasons.
October 20, 2004: Desperate Housewives Picked Up for Full Season
On October 20, 2004, after only three episodes, ABC announced that Desperate Housewives, along with Lost, had been picked up for a full season.
2004: Touchstone Television Produces Desperate Housewives
From 2004, Desperate Housewives was produced in association with Touchstone Television until 2007.
2004: Desperate Housewives Premieres
In 2004, Desperate Housewives became the biggest success of the 2004–05 television season, with the pilot episode attracting 21.3 million viewers.
2004: "Desperate Housewives" Becomes Cultural Phenomenon
In 2004, following the show's initial success, the term "desperate housewives" became a cultural phenomenon, inspiring features in TV shows and magazines.
2004: Cast Awarded Screen Actors Guild Award
In 2004, the entire cast of Desperate Housewives was awarded the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Cast – Comedy Series.
April 30, 2005: Laura Bush Declares Herself a Desperate Housewife
On April 30, 2005, during a dinner with the White House Correspondents' Association, First Lady Laura Bush jokingly stated, "Ladies and gentlemen, I am a desperate housewife", referring to the show.
September 2005: Release of Desperate Housewives: Behind Closed Doors
In September 2005, ABC's sister company Hyperion Books released "Desperate Housewives: Behind Closed Doors", a companion to the first season of the series, written by the production team behind the series.
September 2005: Release of Music from and Inspired by Desperate Housewives soundtrack album
In September 2005, Hollywood Records released a soundtrack album titled "Music from and Inspired by Desperate Housewives", distributed by Universal Music Group, featuring music inspired by the series, as well as sound clips taken from the first season of the series. The songs included have been described as promoting "girl power", and among the artists appearing—all being female—were LeAnn Rimes, Gloria Estefan and Shania Twain. Controversially, no music composed for the series was included on the album.
September 25, 2005: Second Season Premiere
On September 25, 2005, the second season of Desperate Housewives premiered. The central mystery involves new neighbor Betty Applewhite and her family moving onto Wisteria Lane and keeping someone prisoner in their basement.
2005: Desperate Housewives Airs in Sunday Timeslot
In 2005, Desperate Housewives aired in the Sunday at 9:00–10:00 p.m. ET slot, which it held throughout the show's run.
2005: People's Choice and TV Land Awards in 2005
In 2005, Desperate Housewives won the People's Choice Award for Favorite New Television Drama at the 31st People's Choice Awards and the Future Classic Award at the 2005 TV Land Awards.
2005: Soundtrack Album Released
In 2005, Hollywood Records produced and Universal Music Group distributed the first soundtrack album, Music from and Inspired by Desperate Housewives.
2005: Cast Awarded Screen Actors Guild Award Again
In 2005, the entire cast of Desperate Housewives was awarded the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Cast – Comedy Series again.
2005: Desperate Housewives Music Wins Awards
In 2005, the theme music for Desperate Housewives, composed by Danny Elfman, won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music and a BMI TV Music Award. It was also nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Main Title Design and included on the album Music from and Inspired by Desperate Housewives.
February 26, 2006: Announcement of South American versions of Desperate Housewives
On February 26, 2006, The Walt Disney Company announced that four South American versions of the show were about to begin production: one for Argentina, one for Colombia, one for Ecuador and one for Brazil.
May 2006: Tom Spezialy Leaves Desperate Housewives
In May 2006, executive producer Tom Spezialy left Desperate Housewives just before the second-season finale.
September 24, 2006: Third Season Premiere
On September 24, 2006, the third season of Desperate Housewives premiered. The main mystery of the season revolves around Bree's new husband, Orson Hodge, and his past.
October 5, 2006: Release of Desperate Housewives: The Game
On October 5, 2006, Buena Vista Games released the life simulation computer video game "Desperate Housewives: The Game" in North America, featuring an original story line spanning 12 episodes. The game is set on Wisteria Lane. The player does not play as any of the housewives, although they frequently appear.
October 2006: Publication of The Desperate Housewives Cookbook
In October 2006, Hyperion published "The Desperate Housewives Cookbook – Juicy Dishes and Saucy Bits".
December 2006: Walk-on Part Auctioned for Charity
In December 2006, a walk-on part in Desperate Housewives had the highest bid at a fundraising auction for the British child charity ChildLine, reaching £17,000.
December 2006: Announcement of Desperate Housewives fashion dolls
In December 2006, it was announced that the characters of Susan, Lynette, Bree, Gabrielle and Edie were to be made into 16 inches (41 cm) tall fashion dolls, produced by Madame Alexander.
2006: Syndication on Lifetime begins in 2006
From 2006, Desperate Housewives was syndicated on Lifetime in the United States.
2006: Release of Delicious Housewives, A Novel of Erotica
In 2006, Delicious Housewives, A Novel of Erotica, by author Tamarias Tyree from RSVP Press, an erotic parody of the series featuring the housewives' sexual misadventures.
2006: Awards and Nominations in 2006
In 2006, Desperate Housewives received a Golden Globe Award for Best Series – Musical or Comedy at the 63rd Golden Globe Awards. All four leading women received Golden Globe Award nominations, but did not win. The cast ensemble won a Screen Actors Guild Award, as did Felicity Huffman. The show also received Primetime Emmy Award nominations at the 58th Primetime Emmy Awards for Shirley Knight and Alfre Woodard, but did not win. Finally, it was nominated for the Pioneer Award at the BAFTA awards but lost to Doctor Who.
2006: TP de Oro Award in 2006
In 2006, Desperate Housewives won the TP de Oro for Best Foreign Series.
September 30, 2007: Fourth Season Premiere
On September 30, 2007, the fourth season of Desperate Housewives premiered. The season's main mystery revolves around new neighbor Katherine Mayfair and her family, who return to Wisteria Lane after twelve years away.
2007: Release of Desperate Housewives Dirty Laundry Game
In 2007, British company Re:creation published "Desperate Housewives Dirty Laundry Game", a board game based on the third season of Desperate Housewives. Players attempt to guess their opponents' secrets by answering trivia questions, while keeping clues to their own secrets concealed.
2007: Release of Desperate Housewives fashion dolls
In 2007, Desperate Housewives fashion dolls were released in a limited edition of 300 pieces each.
2007: Most Popular Show Worldwide
In 2007, Desperate Housewives was reported to be the most popular show in its demographic worldwide, with an audience of approximately 120 million, and was also reported as the third-most-watched television series in a study of ratings in twenty countries.
2007: Awards and Nominations in 2007
In 2007, Felicity Huffman received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for the second time, and Laurie Metcalf and Dixie Carter also received Primetime Emmy Award nominations at the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards. The show, along with Marcia Cross and Felicity Huffman, received Golden Globe Award nominations at the 64th Golden Globe Awards. Huffman and the cast ensemble were also nominated for the Screen Actors Guild Awards, but none of the nominations resulted in any actual awards.
2007: Official wall calendars published for 2007
In 2007, official wall calendars, featuring shots taken from the series, were published by Andrews McMeel Publishing.
2007: Series Maintains Power
In 2007, the television series Desperate Housewives, maintained power during its fourth season.
2007: ABC Studios Becomes Producer
Since 2007, Desperate Housewives has been produced by ABC Studios, alongside creator Marc Cherry (Cherry Productions) and Austin Bagley.
September 28, 2008: Fifth Season Premiere
On September 28, 2008, the fifth season of Desperate Housewives premiered, jumping five years forward in time. The season mystery revolves around Edie's new husband, Dave Williams, seeking revenge on someone on Wisteria Lane.
December 2008: Online Viewership Announced
In December 2008, Nielsen Media Research announced that Desperate Housewives had 723,000 unique online viewers.
2008: Desperate Housewives Ranks High
In 2008, Desperate Housewives proved to have staying power, moving back into the top five highest-rated programs, beating Grey's Anatomy and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
2008: Awards in 2008
In 2008, Desperate Housewives received the least nominations with none at the 65th Golden Globe Awards and only the cast being nominated at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. The show was nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards at the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards, including acting nods towards Polly Bergen and Kathryn Joosten for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. Joosten won the show's seventh Primetime Emmy Award and first since its debut year.
2008: Broadcast of Donas de Casa Desesperadas in Brazil begins in 2008
In 2008, Donas de Casa Desesperadas began being broadcast on RedeTV! in Brazil.
2008: Official wall calendars published for 2008
In 2008, official wall calendars, featuring shots taken from the series, were published by Andrews McMeel Publishing.
August 2009: Marc Cherry Says Series Has Life Left
In August 2009, Marc Cherry stated that Desperate Housewives would be on television for a few more years, indicating the series still had "a lot of life left in it."
August 2009: Launch of Desperate Housewives fragrances by LR Health & Beauty Systems
In August 2009, a collection of four fragrances by LR Health & Beauty Systems, each based on and titled after a Desperate Housewives lead character, was presented: Susan's fragrance is composed of orange blossom, cedar, sandalwood and white musk, Lynette's fragrance is composed of cardamom, star jasmine and musk, Bree's fragrance is composed of green apple, white jasmine, raspberry, lily, amber and vanilla, and Gabrielle's fragrance is composed of raspberry, pineapple, rose, patchouli and blackberries.
September 27, 2009: Sixth Season Premiere
On September 27, 2009, the sixth season of Desperate Housewives premiered. The main mystery of this season surrounds new neighbor Angie Bolen and her family.
October 2009: Cherry Signs Deal with ABC
In October 2009, Marc Cherry signed a two-year deal with ABC that could keep Desperate Housewives on the air until 2013.
2009: Awards and Nominations in 2009
In 2009, Beau Bridges received a nomination. Nominations continued to decline in later years.
2009: Series Ranked as Pirated Show
In 2009, Desperate Housewives was the seventh-most-pirated television show.
September 26, 2010: Seventh Season Premiere
On September 26, 2010, the seventh season of Desperate Housewives premiered. The main mystery is Paul Young's return to Wisteria Lane.
2010: Third-Highest Revenue-Earning Series
In 2010, Desperate Housewives was the third-highest revenue-earning series, with $2.74 million per half an hour.
2010: Competition Affects Ratings
In 2010, Desperate Housewives' ratings were impacted by heavy competition, including the 67th Golden Globe Awards, 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, 2010 Winter Olympics, and the new CBS reality television series Undercover Boss.
2010: Awards and Nominations in 2010
In 2010, Kathryn Joosten received a nomination. Nominations continued to decline in later years.
March 2011: Ratings Slightly Recovered
In March 2011, the show's ratings slightly recovered after the series low and leveled around the eight million viewer mark and a 2.6 in the demo.
April 2011: Longoria Confirms Eighth Season
In April 2011, Eva Longoria confirmed that there would definitely be an eighth season of Desperate Housewives and expressed hopes for a ninth season.
May 17, 2011: Desperate Housewives Renewed for Eighth Season
On May 17, 2011, Desperate Housewives was officially renewed by ABC for an eighth season.
August 2011: Final Season Confirmed
In August 2011, it was confirmed that the eighth season of Desperate Housewives would be the final season.
August 2011: Eighth Season Confirmed as Final Season
In August 2011, it was confirmed that the eighth season of Desperate Housewives would be the show's last. The series finale aired on May 13, 2012.
September 25, 2011: Eighth and Final Season Premiere
On September 25, 2011, the eighth and final season of Desperate Housewives premiered. The season's main mystery centers on the cover-up of Gabrielle's stepfather's death at Carlos' hands.
2011: Awards and Nominations in 2011
In 2011, Brenda Strong received her first Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance at the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards. Also in 2011, Vanessa L. Williams won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series at the 41st NAACP Image Awards and a Satellite Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television.
2011: Broadcast of Umutsuz Ev Kadınları in Turkey begins in 2011
In 2011, the Turkish version titled "Umutsuz Ev Kadınları" aired on Kanal D in Turkey from 2011 until 2013 and on FOX Turkey from 2013 until 2014.
April 26, 2012: Filming Ends for Desperate Housewives
On April 26, 2012, filming for the television series Desperate Housewives officially concluded.
May 13, 2012: Series Finale Airs
On May 13, 2012, the series finale of Desperate Housewives aired on ABC, concluding the show's eight-season run, totaling 180 episodes.
2012: Awards and Nominations in 2012
In 2012, Brenda Strong and Kathryn Joosten received Primetime Emmy Award nominations again at 64th Primetime Emmy Awards.
2012: Most-Watched Comedy Series Internationally
In 2012, Desperate Housewives remained the most-watched comedy series internationally based on data from Eurodata TV Worldwide since 2006. Eurodata TV Worldwide measured ratings across five continents.
2012: End of Desperate Housewives series
In 2012, Desperate Housewives series concluded. Original Desperate Housewives creator Marc Cherry is not directly involved in any new project, but is aware of the project and may participate in some capacity.
2012: Syndication on Lifetime ends in 2012
In 2012, the syndication of Desperate Housewives on Lifetime in the United States ended.
2013: Executions for Watching
In 2013, North Korea allegedly executed eighty people for watching banned South Korean soap operas and Desperate Housewives. The show was being secretly watched using various media devices.
2013: Awards and Nominations in 2013
In 2013, Vanessa L. Williams won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for the series' eight and final season.
2013: Cherry Hints at Series End
In April 2011, Cherry hinted that Desperate Housewives would end in 2013.
2013: Possible End Date
In October 2009, Cherry signed a two-year deal with ABC that could keep Desperate Housewives on the air until 2013.
2013: Announcement of Desperate Housewives Africa in 2013
In fall 2013, the Disney Media Distribution and the Nigerian television network EbonyLife TV announced that they were producing an African version of Desperate Housewives. The series, titled "Desperate Housewives Africa", was scheduled to premiere in summer 2014 on EbonyLife TV.
2014: Scheduled premiere of Desperate Housewives Africa
In summer 2014, "Desperate Housewives Africa" was scheduled to premiere on EbonyLife TV.
September 2015: Ranked on Hollywood's Favorite TV Shows
In September 2015, Desperate Housewives ranked at number one hundred on The Hollywood Reporter's "Hollywood's 100 Favorite TV Shows", as determined by television industry professionals.
2015: Airing of the only season of Desperate Housewives Africa in 2015
In 2015, Desperate Housewives Africa aired its only season.
June 2017: Release of Desperate Housewives: The Game on App Store and Google Play
In June 2017, Megazebra released "Desperate Housewives: The Game" on App Store and on Google Play. Play as new neighbor on Wisteria Lane.
2017: Opening Sequence Ranked Highly
In 2017, James Charisma of Paste ranked Desperate Housewives' opening sequence at 29th position on a list of The 75 Best TV Title Sequences of All Time.
2024: No Blu-ray release as of 2024
As of 2024, there has been no Blu-ray release of Desperate Housewives.
April 2025: Development of Wisteria Lane TV series announced
In April 2025, it was reported that a new television series titled "Wisteria Lane" was in development at Onyx Collective. The project is described as a darkly comedic mystery-drama in the vein of Desperate Housewives, set on the same fictional street. The series is being written by Natalie Chaidez and executive produced by Kerry Washington. While the series will not feature the original cast members or characters, it is considered a spiritual successor to Desperate Housewives, focusing on a new group of five women navigating secrets and scandal behind the façade of suburban perfection.
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