Why we're over the wives

[Brian Damage]

In its second season, 'Desperate Housewives' is at a dead end

By MARISA GUTHRIE


Second-Season Slump: The alcoholic Bree (Marcia Cross) is a rare crowd-pleaser.

What has become of the ladies on our favorite cul-de-sac? It feels like only yesterday that we were basking in the conspiratorial glow of their relatable problems and insecurities: the choice between career and kids; the brutal epiphany that only one of you was committed to the marriage; those humiliating postdivorce romantic missteps; the pain and frustration that come from being labeled a slut. (You know who you are, Edie.)
This year, the Desperate Housewives have become a tad too desperate, leaving fans scratching their heads.

Lynette has turned into a status-quo corporate cog, engaged in a predictable office turf war with husband Tom. Susan is too narcissistic to be believed, and she's apparently now engaging in health-care fraud (thank you very much for becoming part of the skyrocketing health insurance premium problem, Susan); Gabby and Carlos have taken selfishness to new lows; and Betty Applewhite and her problem child proved utterly disposable.

To borrow from the network's promotional tag line — It's just not so juicy.


"The clever wit of last season has been flushed down the toilet in favor of silly slapstick," wrote one fan on the realityTVworld.com message board. "Last season this show was more cerebral. Now, it's just stupid."

"Desperate Housewives" premiered to glowing reviews and truckloads of magazine covers. The show was an immediate hit that put faded TV starlets Teri Hatcher, Marcia Cross and Nicollette Sheridan back on the rag-mag radar and yanked Eva Longoria out of the B-movie basement.

But a backlash began when creator Marc Cherry seemingly wrote himself into a corner by tying up the mystery of Mary Alice Young's suicide with a neat little bow.

"They raised the bar so high [in the first season] that it kind of lends itself to disappointment," says Brad Adgate, senior vice president of research at Horizon Media.

"It's like you get a rock band together and they put a fantastic first album out because they spent 20 years working on it and then it's like, what do you do for a followup?"

What you don't do, say fans, is introduce new characters (the Applewhites) and then fail to imbue them with any intrigue.

"Where are the Applewhites, AGAIN," wrote an exasperated fan after a recent episode in which Betty and her sons failed to register. "Either include them in the plot line or just have them move away. The whole thing is ridiculous and tiresome now."

The show is also falling victim to that annoying reality of network television: the rerun.

"I'm sure ABC and Marc Cherry would love to do 52 episodes, but it just is not practical," says Bill Carroll, director of programming for Katz Television Group. "I think viewers are frustrated. With a serialized drama, you want the story to move along."

Indeed, like starved castaways on a desert island, desperate fans lapped up the first new episode in nearly a month when ABC, surely in an effort to rain on "The Sopranos'" premiere parade, scheduled (oh, happy day) a new episode.

And thank goodness for Bree, the queen of sublimation.

"It's totally believable that Bree would insist she doesn't have a drinking problem, but go to AA for 'appearances,'" wrote a fan on the Television Without Pity message board. "I loved how that played out."

Ah, but for every delectable trip to the Van De Kamp funhouse, there is ... Susan.

Teri Hatcher's solipsistic singleton is quickly becoming the cul-de-sac killjoy.

A sampling of fan reaction:

"Susan is my least favorite character."

"Susan is about as deep as a puddle."

"I loathe Susan with a capital HATE! Can't stand her. Wish her spleen would wander to her heart and kill her. She's a horrible selfish person and an even worse mother."

Well, that smarts.

To be fair, the show is still holding steady at No. 4 in the Nielsens and raking in more than 22 million viewers for new episodes. And even competition from the breathlessly hyped return of "The Sopranos" didn't put a dent in "Desperate Housewives'"

Sunday-night coffee klatsch. But it remains to be seen if the show can build some momentum leading into the final weeks of the second season. And then there's an entire third season to worry about.

"I'm not trying to trash Marc Cherry or anything," says Adgate, "but the story lines are not as crisp as they were a year ago. They're going to have to come up with something next year that's going to draw more interest with the viewers and get them engaged with the show again."

Because no one wants to be a one-hit wonder.


SIGNS OF SERIES' SLUGGISHNESS



BABY & MAMA DRAMA
Attempts by Gabrielle and Carlos (Eva Longoria and Ricardo Chavira) to find a baby to adopt have not left fans with that warm and fuzzy feeling.


BETTY WHO?
Fans reacted with a collective yawn to the addition of Betty Applewhite (Alfre Woodard, r.) to Wisteria Lane and her boy-in-the-basement story line.


ME TIME
Teri Hatcher's Susan has taken navel-gazing to new depths. Her recent sniveling over Mike had the pungent whiff of the pathetic.


AUTOMATIC
The formerly intriguing Mike (Jamie Denton) is stuck in a loop: Reach into cupboard; remove gun; hold gun near face; sneer; repeat.



WORK IT Tom and Lynette (Doug Savant, l., and Felicity Huffman) are embroiled in a tedious interoffice power struggle.


THREE TV HOMES AWAY FROM HOME

Where's the juice?

Waiting for "Desperate Housewives" to recapture its mojo can be a bore. But there are some alternative sources for frothy thrills.

* "Footballers Wive$," Sundays at 10 p.m. on BBC America

The tagline of this British import — "Everyone plays dirty" — says it all. Unlike "Housewives," which seems to be struggling through an identity crisis, this prime-time soap revels in its high-camp, lowbrow excitement. Kidnapping, suicide, death by anorexia, botched plastic surgery, pregnancies and half a dozen deaths a season — "Wives" is a Cheez Whiz thrill ride that knows how to shock. (And because it's on cable, it can show naked butts and sexual devices that Rex Van De Kamp could only fantasize about.)


* "The Real Housewives of Orange County," Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on Bravo

The real-life wives living in the Coto de Caza gated community in Southern California revel in their me-ness. The minutiae of their lives — Botox, breast implants, $100,000 cars, afternoons at the club and marathon gossip sessions — is so much more over-the-top than anything you'll see on "Desperate Housewives." And that's exactly the point.

Vicki, Kimberly, Jeana, Lauri and Jo would be fast friends with the "Footballers Wive$." But we're not so sure about those other "Housewives."

Says executive producer Scott Dunlop: "The rumor is that the 'Desperate Housewives' cast has a picture (of the 'Real Housewives') hanging up and they're throwing darts at it."

* "Suburban Shootout," Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on Oxygen

The women of Little Stempington have some real skeletons in their walk-in closets. This UK import chronicles the turf war between power-hungry housewives who run an illegal hormone operation out of their perfectly appointed homes. "Desperate Housewives" meets "The Sopranos," this series is filled with fisticuffs, explosions and more gunplay than a "Rambo" movie.

Ny Daily News

[Brent88]

I really don't agree. I am enjoying this season just as much as last season. Last season I didn't like Lynette's constant bickering about her misbehaving kids, so I actually think the work hysterics most weeks are better than that. I actually like the Applewhites, and I'm still holding out that the Caleb mystery ties back into someone already on the street. There IS a big ending for them supposedly in the finale. Susan is the same as last year, and I can't wait til Edie finds about the "fake" marriage next week. I miss Rex, but I'm over it. I do not miss George though, and I like that Gabby finally wants a baby and that they are having to go to extreme lengths to get one.

I'm also BEYOND ready for Grey's Anatomy to move. I am sick of week after week hearing about how that show is so much better than DH and beating it in the ratings. It's only that big because it's been airing after DH and because of the Super Bowl. I like the show, but not as much as DH.

[Pavan]

All stupid hype. It's still a powerhouse and will be for years to come.

[Brian Damage]

It is still doing well in the ratings, but people that I have talked to who were die hards last year, aren't enamoured with it anymore. I think it may be losing a little steam.

[Buffyboy323]

I have been a fan since the beginning. And I will admit that season 2 is Blaaah! compared to last year. But I still stayed with the show. I haven't missed a single episode....I mean really, what show doesn't go through a sucky time??? The last 2 episodes were good. I hope that's a sign for things to come. And Desperate Housewives is still a ratings winner. They have more viewers this year, than last. Come on Housewives!

[TVFactFan]

What I don't understand is why they had to add new characters? Well I guess it's all about being number one but I still don't think there was a need right now to add new characters. Now if the show had dropped out of the top 10 then yeah but wasn't DHW a Number 3 show at the end of the 2004-2005 season?

[TVJunkie101]

The show will be here for a while. The show has changed, not a lot for the better but it still enjoyable. I don't RUSH to watch it every week anymore.

I also think Grey's Anatomy can definitely hold it's own on another night. It's very well praised and hyped. It did incredibly well after the Super Bowl and it seems a few new viewers from that are tuning in because it's been rocking on Sunday nights.

What's hurting these ABC shows is their idiotic scheduling. They need to find a better way to air the 22 episodes. I like what Fox did years ago with 90210 and Melrose. Never air reruns, just preempt it. Never seemed to hurt them.

[Brent88]

Originally Posted by TVJunkie101

The show will be here for a while. The show has changed, not a lot for the better but it still enjoyable. I don't RUSH to watch it every week anymore.

I also think Grey's Anatomy can definitely hold it's own on another night. It's very well praised and hyped. It did incredibly well after the Super Bowl and it seems a few new viewers from that are tuning in because it's been rocking on Sunday nights.

What's hurting these ABC shows is their idiotic scheduling. They need to find a better way to air the 22 episodes. I like what Fox did years ago with 90210 and Melrose. Never air reruns, just preempt it. Never seemed to hurt them.

1. Grey's can DEFINTELY hold it's own. It's been proven when DH has been a repeat that it can do that.

2. The only way they could do it rerun free is to premiere the show in November and end it in March or April... and we really don't want that, do we? I agree, I hate reruns, but I see complaints from people on other boards about how it's only DH that does this, when it's not. Grey's had extra episodes from last season which is the reason it was new all those weeks while DH wasn't. Next season it's back to reality(even if Grey's moves to another night). They can only produce so many episodes...

[Buffyboy323]

Originally Posted by TVJunkie101

The show will be here for a while. The show has changed, not a lot for the better but it still enjoyable. I don't RUSH to watch it every week anymore.

I also think Grey's Anatomy can definitely hold it's own on another night. It's very well praised and hyped. It did incredibly well after the Super Bowl and it seems a few new viewers from that are tuning in because it's been rocking on Sunday nights.

What's hurting these ABC shows is their idiotic scheduling. They need to find a better way to air the 22 episodes. I like what Fox did years ago with 90210 and Melrose. Never air reruns, just preempt it. Never seemed to hurt them.

I do agree!!! But remember, 90210 had like 26 episodes a season. I even think one year they had 32 episodes.

[TJL]

Lot's of shows experience a "sophmore slump."
It's hard for a show with lots of major plot twists and outrageous storylines to keep thrilling an audinece episode after episode, season after season.

Perhaps the overexposed girls from Wysteria are experiencing a little media backlash?

[Buffyboy323]

Originally Posted by TJL

Lot's of shows experience a "sophmore slump."
It's hard for a show with lots of major plot twists and outrageous storylines to keep thrilling an audinece episode after episode, season after season.

Perhaps the overexposed girls from Wysteria are experiencing a little media backlash?

I don't agree with the woman "experiencing a little media backlash." I don't think it has anything to do with them. It's the creators and writers. They need to put the show back on track. I don't think the Housewives have anything to do with it. Their acting is better than ever.

[Brian Damage]

Just by reading a lot of comments and talking to former fans, I can tell that the show is losing some steam. Barwars is right, it isn't the "cool" show anymore. My friend at work said she stopped watching DH because she started to find it boring. She said that the Footballers Wives on BBC America has more action and steaminess.

[Buffyboy323]

Originally Posted by Brian Damage

Just by reading a lot of comments and talking to former fans, I can tell that the show is losing some steam. Barwars is right, it isn't the "cool" show anymore. My friend at work said she stopped watching DH because she started to find it boring. She said that the Footballers Wives on BBC America has more action and steaminess.

Desperate Housewives may have lost it's steam, but I don't understand why they are doing better this year in the ratings than last, when the show was better last year.....And Footballer's Wives kicks ass! But it's nothing like DH. At all. Footballer's deals with the burning of the breasts of an underwear model, cheating, drugs and hermaphrodite (did I spell that right?) babies....They're very different. And Footballers' centric character is Tanya. Her friends are secondary. It's not as much an ensemble as DH is.

[Dr. Thong]

I still enjoy the show, but I have to say the writers have fumbled the ball with the Applewhites. They remain outsiders, not integrated into the main cast.

Last season, we had the Paul Young mystery with Zack and Mike. The thing that tied him into the cast was his dead narrator wife and everyone had an interest in how that scenario played out.

With the Applewhites, there's only been one episode where they actually had a tie to a main character - the one where Bree and Betty were blackmailing each other and became "friends" by necessity. Since then, they have retreated to their separate homes and crisises.

And to make matters worse, it seems like we only see the Applewhites every other episode. When they do show up, I find myself going "Oh yeah, where were they last week?"

I agree that this season isn't as good as last, but I wouldn't write it off just yet.

[spunkygirl]

They must be doing something right or the ratings wouldn't be still so good