TV Shows

Did ABC Just Tease a Major Series Return in 2022?

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In 2022, Desperate Housewives fans will mark the 10-year anniversary of the show’s finale. ABC has no concrete plans for a revival, but the network keeps the show’s Twitter page active by regularly posting holiday messages. Still, the network’s tweet about “desperately” waiting for 2022 to start led to fans speculating about the show’s return.

Desperate Housewives told the stories of four women who live on Wisteria Lane in the fictional town of Fairview over eight seasons between October 2004 and May 2012. Teri Hatcher starred as Susan Mayer, while Felicity Huffman played Lynette Scavo. Marcia Cross played Bree Van de Kamp and Eva Langoria played Gabrielle Solis. Nicolette Sheridan, Vanessa Williams, Brenda Strong, James Denton, and Ricardo Antonio Chavira also starred in the series.

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The show, created by Marc Cherry, was an instant success for ABC and became an Emmys magnet during its early run. It won six of its seven Emmys for its first season alone. Desperate Housewives continues to attract new fans, as its entire run remains available to stream on Hulu. With that in mind, it’s no surprise that fans are begging for a revival. Here’s a look at the responses to ABC’s new year’s tweet that some fans thought was a hint at new stories from Wisteria Lane.

‘Desperately waiting for 2022’

Over the years, members of the cast have been asked repeatedly if they would like to play their characters again. Longoria recently told The Radio Times she would jump at the chance to play Gaby again. “I mean, we ended the series with [Gaby] going off to start her own business. So I’d love to pick up and see like how she’s grown that business,” Longoria said in October 2021. “Is she, you know, Kris Jenner? Just fabulous and flying all over the world and managing all of these businesses.”

‘Marc Cherry needs to get this show back on TV’

In January 2021, Cross confirmed there was no revival in the works. After a fan tweeted about a rumored revival, she jokingly responded, “News to me!!” Cross, Hatcher, and Huffman all competed against each other for the 2005 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Emmy Award, with Huffman prevailing.

‘This felt like an announcement for a second’

Unlike many other hour-long shows produced today, Desperate Housewives finished with a whopping 180 episodes in just eight seasons because it aired on a broadcast network. That’s one of the reasons why Cherry doesn’t think a revival is needed. “I did 180 episodes of Desperate Housewives, unlike a Sex and the City, which was on cable and didn’t do as many. I feel like I’ve done that, and in a weird way, I found a new way to do it because so many of themes that I get to deal with are on this show,” he said in August 2019.

‘Reboot with all of them please’

Back in April 2020, most of the main cast reunited for a virtual reunion to support The Actors Fund. Huffman, who served 11 days in prison for her role in the 2019 college admissions scandal, did not attend. However, her co-stars praised her performance on the show. “We were a true dramedy. We were always a joke, and then that gravity would take you by surprise and that’s what I loved about the show, we got to do two things,” Longoria said. “But when Felicity had this storyline, she sunk her teeth into it — she had so many questions… She’s the acteur.”

‘We would love to see the girls make a comeback’

Jesse Metcalfe, who starred as gardener John Rowland in the first season and later made guest appearances, recently spoke about the pressures he felt as a sex symbol on the show. Metcalfe’s role required him to act in plenty of scenes with his shirt off, so he felt he had to be in that shape all the time.ย 

“You have to stay in the best shape you can and then between projects, everyone expects you to stay in that shape 24/7, 365. That’s not realistic,” Metcalfe told i-D Magazine in December. “That’s why paparazzi catch actors between projects looking ‘out of shape’ โ€“ they’re taking time off and that includes the gym. You can run your body into the ground working out, not to mention the other things male actors do to stay fit.”

‘If we can have ‘And Just Like That,’ we can have a reboot’

Metcalfe, who recently participated in Dancing With the Stars, said the part left him typecast. He is now proud of his decision to leave the show for good in 2009. “I’ve done a lot of soul-searching and a lot of therapy. I’ve come out stronger and better having been through what I’ve been through in my career,” he told i-D Magazine. “I wouldn’t go back and change anything. The pain you experience is nine times out of 10 a lesson you need to learn. That pain doesn’t go away until you’ve learned it.” ย