Can you believe it’s been 20 years since we were first introduced to the ladies of Wisteria Lane?
Desperate Housewives, the iconic comedy-drama-mystery series, ran for eight years before it wrapped up in 2012, and thanks to the revival of nostalgia on streaming, the show has quickly reentered the zeitgeist as our latest binge-watch obsession.
Whether you’re on your seventh rewatch or just have an empty Friday night ahead and some wine in the fridge, we recap what you need to know about Desperate Housewives.
What is Desperate Housewives about?
Before we entered this current “golden age of television”, there was the occasional show that made sure to portray women in their many – and often unlikeable – dimensions. Desperate Housewives was among them, showcasing women in their 30s and 40s who dealt with “women’s issues” in a way that made us feel mostly entertained, but also a bit understood.
The show follows four women, the “desperate housewives”, who live in an affluent US suburb on a street called Wisteria Lane. The pilot episode opens with the mysterious suicide of housewife Mary Alice Young. Her four closest friends and neighbours, Bree Van de Kamp (Marcia Cross), Lynette Scavo (Felicity Huffman), Susan Meyer (Teri Hatcher), and Gabrielle Solis (Eva Longoria), are shocked at her death, and the season follows their attempt to find out what happened to her, while they go about their daily lives trying to be good wives and mothers.
While the outlook is a tad Stepford, the show’s mystery element never really disappoints, with the women often finding themselves embroiled in crime with the characters around them. There’s a lot of murder for a show about housewives, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Who is the cast of Desperate Housewives?
The women of Desperate Housewives will always hold a special place in our hearts.
Susan Mayer was portrayed by Teri Hatcher, who is also best known for her work as Lois Lane on Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, and as Paris Carver in the 1997 James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies.
Her role as Susan won her a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Lynette Scavo was portrayed by the now somewhat controversial Felicity Huffman, who has had a decorated acting career across TV and film.
Marcia Cross also starred as Bree Van de Kam, a role that earned her a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, and three Golden Globe nominations for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy.
The fourth and final housewife, Gabrielle Solis, was portrayed by Eva Longoria, with her role in the show working as a springboard for her now very successful career as an actress, producer, and director.
And although she wasn’t part of the four core housewives, Nicollette Sheridan played housewife Edie Britt for the show’s first five seasons.
Where to watch Desperate Housewives
For Aussies ready to catch up on all the action of Wisteria Lane, all eight seasons of Desperate Housewives are available to stream now on Disney+.
Stream Desperate Housewives now on Disney+ from $13.99/month. Subscribe here.