I don't get why this show isn't in reruns. It was hugely popular during its day. I wish a network like WE or Lifetime would pick it up.

I own all 8 seasons on DVD but I'd still like to be able to catch an episode here and there on "TV".

Desperate Housewives had a very good, and generally hilarious, first year and then fell off the wagon in subsequent years. It largely dropped the black humor, which made the first year so good and got into various social scenarios which most viewers probably didn't find attractive (more "Dallas-ie" if you want to put it another way).

Also, dramas with story arcs usually don't do well in reruns anyway. I'm guessing people don't want to be tied down to having to watch a show every day, they prefer to watch something where they can miss an episode and not be lost the next day.

The one thing that is becoming a new platform for syndication, and it may be the way for Desperate Housewives, is On Demand through Hulu and Netflix. On Demand TV has potential for being more profitable than local syndication. It has the additional benefit of being low cost, and so not dependent on a certain number of episodes or attracting a large number of affiliated stations.

I wouldn't mind seeing a Desperate Housewives or two, just for Eva Longoria.:D

I don't get why this show isn't in reruns. It was hugely popular during its day. I wish a network like WE or Lifetime would pick it up.


If I remember correctly, I believe Lifetime ran reruns of the show back when the show was in its 5th or 6th season. Maybe the ratings weren't that good for Lifetime and that's why the show isn't in syndication?


I don't ever watch cable TV anymore. The last time I watched a rerun on TV was Alice on ION and not only did ION butchered the show to death that it made no sense watching, they also had these annoying on screen ads that distracted viewers from the show. Syndication TV is awful nowadays. I don't think it's worth it for any show to be seen that way.

If I remember correctly, I believe Lifetime ran reruns of the show back when the show was in its 5th or 6th season. Maybe the ratings weren't that good for Lifetime and that's why the show isn't in syndication?


I don't ever watch cable TV anymore. The last time I watched a rerun on TV was Alice on ION and not only did ION butchered the show to death that it made no sense watching, they also had these annoying on screen ads that distracted viewers from the show. Syndication TV is awful nowadays. I don't think it's worth it for any show to be seen that way.

I have to agree with you.

I don't know how it factors in, but maybe part of it is due to Nicolette Sheridan's (still) ongoing wrongful termination suit w/ creator Marc Cherry?