The fifth season of Desperate Housewives launches next week in the US, with its permanent, fast-forward five years into the future. Here are two key reviews that indicate the critics like what they see, and that writer Marc Cherry has shrewdly refreshed the series before it becomes stale.
Minor spoilers.
Variety:
In the process, Cherry hasn’t dramatically altered the show’s fundamentals, which still whip up soapy elements with considerable humor, while repeatedly testing the friendships among his leads. Indeed, some issues that have characterized the series in the past have simply shifted from one character to another, which will probably do more to recharge the jets of his large (and by all accounts, demanding) cast than to galvanize viewers.
Yet while the first episode basically does the heavy lifting setup-wise, the second is a knockout — with great scenes involving Lynette’s well-intentioned but intrusive parenting style, Gabrielle’s social climbing and Bree’s work/home juggling act. These are the kind of moments the show delivered with greater regularity in its first season.
Hollywood Reporter:
Marc Cherry says he was inspired by “Lost” to play with time and move his “Desperate Housewives” five years into the future. Whatever prompted the idea, it is a shrewd, daring way to energize the ABC series with a second life.
…..Cherry’s experiment with “Desperate Housewives” could bring back older viewers and attract newer ones, essentially rewriting the playbook for successful TV series……Cherry penned the season premiere, which establishes the new dilemmas. It has the wit and bite that made the series a standout, but it has jettisoned much of the dramatic baggage that had begun to weigh the show down.
“Desperate Housewives” will be around for two more seasons, but how viewers react to this one could have an impact on not just this show but the future of scripted programs.
Source: Variety. Hollywood Reporter
I love Desperate Housewives! it is starting feb 18th. xoxo PS: DH 4 evaz!!!!
Sounds more like a Battlestar Galactica push ahead in the time line, but he’d go with the show from the same network as his.
Clearly DH won’t be back until Feb, and rightly so – whilst many may love the Fast-tracking of series (myself being one such fan) it doesn’t really suit every show…Heroes & PB work well with fast-tracking but series such as DH or Brothers & Sisters work better by screening from Feb and going straight through
This looks like a fantastic season of DH, and whilst i hated the original idea, i may come to really love it (especially if these reviews are a sign of things to come)
ABC will be hoping for some improvement in the show’s ratings..post-Strike the show lost a substantial (though not massivly worrying) amount of it’s viewers, going from a decent 18Mil a week to a lower 15 Mil (20 for the finale)…let’s hope DH can go onto it’s best season yet
i hate channel 7. no doubt, they’ll screen it in February, take it off air for 3 weeks due to Easter, then wonder why there are such low ratings. hello, programming department. wake up and seriously fasttrack
Yep, February. Because every timeslot on channel 7 is chock full of such brilliant shows that they can’t fit a measly one hour into their weekly schedule.
i cant wait till feb to watch this.. no point in downloading cos i know seven will air the whole series.. ill just avoid housewives on the net till htne to enjoy it
It’s February guys.
i am with craig. any news on fast tracking? plz seven! i want to save my internet downloads
oh i cant wait for 7 to screen this come feb 2009….i think the fast forward 5 years is a great idea.
David any word if ch7 is desperate to air this sooner rather that later, aka Jan/Feb 2009?