Official poster for Desperate Housewives

Scripted series · ABC

Desperate Housewives

Secrets. Romance. Murder. All on one street

7.9IMDb2K votesStrongly recommended
Community—0/20 ratingsYour ratingRateSign in to rate
2004 – 20128 seasons · 179 episodes~42 min per episodeTV-14Ended
MysteryComedyDrama
View seasons

Who's in it

Cast

The principal ensemble across the run of the series.

Teri Hatcher

Teri Hatcher

Susan Mayer

179 eps

Felicity Huffman

Felicity Huffman

Lynette Scavo

179 eps

Marcia Cross

Marcia Cross

Bree Van de Kamp

179 eps

Eva Longoria

Eva Longoria

Gabrielle Solis

179 eps

Ricardo Chavira

Ricardo Chavira

Carlos Solis

179 eps

Doug Savant

Doug Savant

Tom Scavo

174 eps

Nicollette Sheridan

Nicollette Sheridan

Edie Britt

110 eps

Mark Moses

Mark Moses

Paul Young

73 eps

James Denton

James Denton

Mike Delfino

179 eps

Alfre Woodard

Alfre Woodard

Betty Applewhite

25 eps

Brenda Strong

Brenda Strong

Mary Alice Young

179 eps

Vanessa Williams

Vanessa Williams

Renee Perry

46 eps

Steven Culp

Steven Culp

Rex Van De Kamp

28 eps

Tuc Watkins

Tuc Watkins

Bob Hunter

42 eps

Kyle MacLachlan

Kyle MacLachlan

Orson Hodge

95 eps

Kevin Rahm

Kevin Rahm

Lee McDermott

53 eps

Dana Delany

Dana Delany

Katherine Mayfair

65 eps

Neal McDonough

Neal McDonough

Dave Williams

24 eps

Cody Kasch

Cody Kasch

Zach Young

53 eps

Shawn Pyfrom

Shawn Pyfrom

Andrew Van de Kamp

111 eps

Jesse Metcalfe

Jesse Metcalfe

John Rowland

30 eps

Andrea Bowen

Andrea Bowen

Julie Mayer

106 eps

Charlie Carver

Charlie Carver

Porter Scavo

62 eps

Max Carver

Max Carver

Preston Scavo

40 eps

Richard Burgi

Richard Burgi

Karl Mayer

43 eps

Kathryn Joosten

Kathryn Joosten

Karen McCluskey

85 eps

Maiara Walsh

Maiara Walsh

Ana Solis

24 eps

Drea de Matteo

Drea de Matteo

Angie Bolen

23 eps

Joshua Logan Moore

Joshua Logan Moore

Parker Scavo

55 eps

Kendall Applegate

Kendall Applegate

Penny Scavo

35 eps

Darcy Rose Byrnes

Darcy Rose Byrnes

Penny Scavo

28 eps

Charles Mesure

Charles Mesure

Ben Faulkner

15 eps

Madison De La Garza

Madison De La Garza

Juanita Solis

63 eps

Jonathan Cake

Jonathan Cake

Chuck Vance

11 eps

Josh Henderson

Josh Henderson

Austin McCann

11 eps

Mason Cotton

Mason Cotton

M.J. Delfino

53 eps

Brent Kinsman

Brent Kinsman

Preston Scavo

70 eps

Rachel Fox

Rachel Fox

Kayla Huntington

24 eps

Nathan Fillion

Nathan Fillion

Adam Mayfair

11 eps

Josh Zuckerman

Josh Zuckerman

Eddie Orlofsky

11 eps

The Nutevio profile

TV DNA

How Desperate Housewives actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.

Signature profile

Desperate Housewives reads strongest on Character Depth, Bingeability and Humour.

Character DepthDefining8.5

How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.

BingeabilityVery strong7.2

How hard it is to stop after one episode.

HumourStrong6.5

How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.

TensionStrong6.5

The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.

Emotional WeightStrong5.9

How much the series is designed to affect you.

Cliffhanger IntensityStrong5.5

How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.

SerializedLight3.5

How much each hour depends on the one before it.

SpectacleLight3.5

Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.

World BuildingLight3.5

The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.

The story

What it's about

Looking down on her friends and family isn't a way of life for Mary Alice Young... it's a way of death. One day, in her perfect house, in the loveliest of suburbs, Mary Alice ended it all. Now she's taking us into the lives of her family, friends and neighbors, commenting from her elevated P.O.V.

The run

Seasons

8 seasons · 179 episodes.

  • Official poster for Specials

    Season 0 · Unannounced

    Specials

    53 episodes

  • Official poster for Season 1

    Season 1 · Complete

    Season 1

    200423 episodes

    7.6IMDb

    Mary Alice Young, a seemingly perfect housewife commits suicide, fearing that a dark secret, involving her, her husband, and their son would be exposed.

    Best episode · S01E23 One Wonderful Day

  • Official poster for Season 2

    Season 2 · Complete

    Season 2

    200523 episodes

    7.9IMDb

    The seemingly perfect lives in the suburban neighborhood of Fairview are shaken by the arrival of the mysterious Betty Applewhite.

    Best episode · S02E09 That's Good, That's Bad

  • Official poster for Season 3

    Season 3 · Complete

    Season 3

    200623 episodes

    7.7IMDb

    The residents of Fairview deal with the arrival of the mysterious Orson Hodge.

    Best episode · S03E07 Bang

  • Official poster for Season 4

    Season 4 · Complete

    Season 4

    200717 episodes

    8.0IMDb

    Katherine Mayfair and her family are introduced as the center of the season's mystery.

    Best episode · S04E01 Now You Know

  • Official poster for Season 5

    Season 5 · Complete

    Season 5

    200824 episodes

    8.1IMDb

    The season's mystery is centered around Edie Britt's third husband Dave Williams.

    Best episode · S05E13 The Best Thing That Ever Could Have Happened

  • Official poster for Season 6

    Season 6 · Complete

    Season 6

    200923 episodes

    7.9IMDb

    Angie Bolen and her family are the focus of this season's mystery.

    Best episode · S06E20 Epiphany

  • Official poster for Season 7

    Season 7 · Complete

    Season 7

    201023 episodes

    7.2IMDb

    After losing both her husband and her business, Bree slowly begins the process of rebuilding her life, first by telling her friend Gabrielle a secret that could end their friendship, and then by starting up a romance with her much younger contractor Keith Watson. In the meantime, the Solises discover that their daughter Juanita was swapped at birth, and Lynette is visited by her old college roommate Renee Perry (Vanessa Williams), who later moves to the lane permanently. Bob and Lee find their way back to one another, and Susan and Mike's financial situations lead them to move to an apartment in the city and to take on jobs they don't want to endure through, whereas Paul Young, Mary Alice's widower, moves back to Wisteria Lane to wreak havoc.

    Best episode · S07E23 Come on Over for Dinner

  • Official poster for Season 8

    Season 8 · Complete

    Season 8

    201123 episodes

    7.4IMDb

    The housewives deal with covering up the murder of Gabrielle's stepfather Alejandro Perez.

    Best episode · S08E23 Finishing the Hat

Where the series peaks

Best Episodes

The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.

Still from Bang

S03E07

Bang

9.1IMDb8 votes

Everyone's lives on Wisteria Lane are forever changed when Carolyn Bigsby holds shoppers hostage at a local supermarket. Meanwhile, Gabrielle and Carlos finish dividing their assets: Gabrielle gets the house, and Carlos gets everything in it. Susan is preparing to go to Paris with Ian.

5 Nov 200643 min
Still from The Best Thing That Ever Could Have Happened

S05E13

The Best Thing That Ever Could Have Happened

9.1IMDb8 votes

When Eli Scruggs (Beau Bridges), the neighborhood handyman, passes away, the residents of Wisteria Lane realize how much he affected their lives.

18 Jan 200943 min
Still from A Spark. To Pierce the Dark.

S05E18

A Spark. To Pierce the Dark.

8.9IMDb8 votes

Bree contemplates selling her business in order to revive her marriage. Meanwhile, Lynette is threatened at work; Katherine is caught in an unforseen circumstance; and Edie's worst fear begins to come true.

22 Mar 200943 min
Still from Something's Coming

S04E09

Something's Coming

8.8IMDb8 votes

A tornado comes to Wisteria Lane, forcing residents into basements, cellars and safe rooms, and destroying homes and lives. Meanwhile, Susan ends up at the hospital after falling down the stairs.

2 Dec 200743 min
Still from Now You Know

S04E01

Now You Know

8.8IMDb8 votes

Susan learns that she is expecting a child while Bree continues to fake her own pregnancy. Gabrielle begins an affair with her ex-husband, Carlos and Lynette tries to conceal her cancer from her friends and children. The episode also introduces Katherine Mayfair, Susan's old friend who returns to the neighborhood after being away for 12 years.

30 Sept 200743 min
Still from Now I Know, Don't Be Scared

S04E06

Now I Know, Don't Be Scared

8.8IMDb8 votes

This is the show's first Halloween episode. Edie Britt's biggest fear comes true when Carlos walks out on their relationship. Susan finds Mike's father, who was supposedly dead. Danielle goes into labor right in the middle of the Halloween party... and somebody has to deliver the baby.

4 Nov 200743 min

Recently aired

Latest Episodes

Still unavailable

S00E50

I Guess This is Goodbye

25 Sept 201218 min
Still unavailable

S00E51

Season 8 Gag Reel

25 Sept 20123 min
Still unavailable

S00E52

Season 8 Deleted Scenes

25 Sept 201214 min
Still unavailable

S00E53

Season 8 Premiere Sneak Peek

25 Sept 20122 min
Still from Give Me the Blame

S08E22

Give Me the Blame

7.9IMDb7 votes
13 May 201243 min

Behind the series

Created by

Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.

The craft

Key Crew

Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.

Created by

Executive production

Writing

Direction

Cinematography

Where to watch

Streaming

Availability verified against regional listings.

  • Amazon Prime VideoStreaming
  • HuluStreaming
  • Amazon VideoBuy
  • Apple TV StoreBuy
  • Google Play MoviesBuy
  • Fandango At HomeBuy
  • Amazon Prime Video with AdsStreaming

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Never stop watching

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