GOSSIP: ABC TO DROP DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES?
Say bye-buh to the ladies of Wisteria Lane: Those pesky Desperate Housewives cancellation reports have resurfaced. Primetime soap fans are biting their nails as The Hollywood Reporter dishes that the upcoming eighth season of the award-winning ABC dramedy will be its last.
A moment of silence puhleeze…
Plummeting ratings, high production costs, and cast salaries are being blamed for the show’s demise, a production insider, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told the entertainment industry trade paper Saturday. In fact, series creator Marc Cherry won’t return as a producer when the gals hit the small screen with all-new episodes this fall.
Desperate Housewives, a glossy prime-time soap opera with an ensemble cast including Teri Hatcher, Vanessa Williams, and Eva Longoria, made a pop-culture and ratings splash when it hit TV screens in 2004. The hit won Golden Globes for Best Comedy Series in 2004 and 2005. DH — a cross between Dynasty and The Real Housewives of Orange County — attracted an average audience of 23.71 million viewers per episode during its first season, but has since seen its audience dwindle.
ABC is expected to discuss the show’s future at Sunday’s Television Critics Association press tour panel in Beverly Hills.
