Desperate Housewivescreator Marc Cherry reveals his prequel idea for the seminal ABC drama. The topic of rebootingDesperate Housewivesresurfaces occasionally, usually around an anniversary or when one of the main cast members has a new project to promote. Cherry has largely maintained that a revival of the popular nighttime soap wouldn’t work without the original stars, giving credit to Marcia Cross, Eva Longoria, Felicity Huffman, andTeri Hatcher. But his latest pitch sidesteps that entirely.
In new comments toPEOPLE, Cherry shares his prequel idea forDesperate Housewivesand mentions that it would befocused on the fictional street of Wisteria Lane. The prequel idea, which comes as the series is celebrating its 20th anniversary, would dig deeper into the central location that was the hub of so many secrets and scandals during the eight-season run of the original. Cherry explains in the quote below:
“I would probably want to do the idea maybe in an earlier decade. Because the character I miss writing the most is actually Wisteria Lane. That was the most fun playground anyone in the history of television has ever had, because we owned the whole street. I know that street like the back of my hand. When someone shoots a commercial on that street, I know it instantly, because I know all those houses, I know the geography. It was such a fun place to write for. And there’s times when I go, ‘You know what? I wonder if I could write Wisteria Lane in like, 1966.’”
“I started to go back and go, ‘Okay, this was why that worked, or this is my approach to this.’ I did some things right the first season that were intuitive, more than intellectual. And I feel like if I ever got a chance to do that show again, I’d be better at the job. I learned so much.”
“…if there is still stuff that needs to be said. If you do a reboot, you have to have a really good artistic reason to do it. And at some point, I’ll sit down with someone and go, ‘Okay, let’s talk about if there’s a good enough “why” to do it.’ “
What A Desperate Housewives Prequel Could Mean
It Frees Up The Story (For Better & Worse)
Tracking the possibility of a reboot since theDesperate Housewivesfinalein 2012, the original stars have not always sounded the most enthusiastic about reprising their roles. Cross has argued that it’s just a different time. Hatcher has said the same, pointing out that lightning may not strike twice. But the prequel aspect removes the need for cameos from familiar characters.
Desperate Housewives' Return Would Only Work Under 1 Condition
Desperate Housewives was once a beloved series, and as return rumors intensify, it’s clear a comeback would only work under one condition.
Cherry, who remained with the show throughout, even writing the final episode, has shown a penchant for previous decades. That much was clear with his streaming seriesWhy Women Kill, though itmay be worthwhile to do a prequel spinoff in the vein ofBetter Call Saulthat was set partly in the recent past but also after the original ended. This would at least allow for the possibility to see some of theDesperate Housewivescharacterswhile also leaning into the nostalgia for the 1990s.
Our Take On A Desperate Housewives Prequel
The Show Is Limited By Its Own Success
In a similar way to the impact ofThe X-Files, it might be difficult for younger audiences to grasp how popular Cherry’s nighttime soap was at its peak.Desperate Housewivesdebuted the same year asLostand only one year beforeGrey’s Anatomy, representing a golden era for ABC and perhaps the last time broadcast television was king.Housewivesthen concluded in 2012, just as Netflix and the streaming era would start to take hold.
Why Desperate Housewives Season 9 Never Happened (Was It Cancelled?)
Desperate Housewives was a massive hit for ABC, earning both critical acclaim and widespread viewership — so why did the show end after 8 seasons?
It would be hard to imagine any of the above dramas having the same cultural cache if they debuted now. There are too many options for audiences, with social media and platforms like YouTube arguably supplanting both film and television. But in the case ofDesperate Housewives, it bowed out havinghelped to inspire theReal Housewivesfranchiseand boosting the general premise of ordinary people getting caught up in crimes. Having its fair share of imitators may help to explain why a reboot hasn’t been put into development.
Desperate Housewives
Cast
Desperate Housewives was a rom-com drama that aired on ABC for eight seasons between 2004 and 2012. The award-winning series follows Susan Mayer (Teri Hatcher), Lynette Scavo (Felicity Huffman), Bree Van De Kamp (Marcia Cross), and Gabrielle Solis (Eva Longoria), who discover dark secrets hidden in their quiet town of Fairview.
