It’s been well over a decade since ABC’s powerhouse series Desperate Housewives came to an end. But even though the show was fictional, many people know that it spawned the Real Housewives franchise.
Following the success of his long-running show, creator Marc Cherry doesn’t begrudge the producers of the Real Housewives their accolades.
“They didn’t crib my name, to be fair,” he said of Bravo’s franchise, which began in 2006 with The Real Housewives of Orange County. “They just used the word. Our show came out, and they capitalized on that. And you know what? That’s the capitalistic system.”
Fans often confused the Marc Cherry ABC series Desperate Housewives with the reality franchise
Despite being a totally scripted dramedy, many people consider Desperate Housewives the inspiration for the reality franchise. Several of the reality storylines have been just as crazy as the scripted ones. And while many of the current Housewives are “desperate” for something, it’s still a different show.
But even celebrities have been know to confuse the two genres. Broadway star Tommy Tune once asked Marc, “Oh, so do you produce all the various cities?”
“I had no idea what he was talking about,” Marc explained. “Then I realized, ‘Oh! You think I created the real-life Housewives franchise?'”
Creating the series’ pilot episode took 16 months. Going forward, each script was expected to be completed in about eight working days.
“It’s kind of like you’ve taken a couple swimming lessons,” he told People, describing the writing process. “Then they just throw you in the biggest pool ever.”
Would Marc ever consider a reboot of Wisteria Lane?
The ratings blockbuster ran from 2004 to 2012. Marc had a chance to continue the show in 2012, but he decided it had run its course. He felt “the time had come to pull the plug.” And he never regretted ending it when he did.
If he ever had a chance for a reboot, Marc thinks he’d do a better job of it the second time around. But there would be so much to consider.
“The trick for me artistically is, is there still stuff that needs to be said?” he wondered. “They always want to move on to the new and the fresh … If you do a reboot, you have to have a really good artistic reason to do it.”
“If I ever dipped my toe in those waters again,” he added, “I would want to make sure I had a really good reason.”
Though Desperate Housewives was a huge success in the world of scripted TV, Marc admitted to being just a bit jealous of the creators of the reality franchise.
“I envy the fact that they’ve kept that franchise going,” he confessed. “I certainly envy the good folks who produce [those shows] because it’s a train that keeps on chugging. So, good for them.”
All episodes of Desperate Housewives are available for streaming on Hulu.
TELL US – WERE YOU A FAN OF DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES? DO YOU SEE ANY SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE FICTIONAL SHOWS AND THE REALITY SHOWS?
