Desperate Housewives Reboot In Development, Title Calls Back To Key Location In Original Show

A Desperate Housewives reboot is in development. The original series aired for eight seasons on ABC with a cast that included Eva Longoria, Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, and Marcia Cross. Desperate Housewives ended in 2012, with the stories of Gabrielle “Gaby” Solis (Longoria), Susan Mayer (Hatcher), Lynette Scavo (Huffman), and Bree Van de Kamp (Cross) coming to a conclusion. Longoria has previously shared that she would be interested in reprising her character for a potential reboot.

According to Variety, a Desperate Housewives reboot is now in development and is called Wisteria Lane, which was the name of the street where the characters lived in the original show. The reboot will focus on a group of five very different friends who live seemingly perfect lives on Wisteria Lane, but dark secrets lurk behind their picturesque homes and joyful social media posts. The project is in development at Onyx Collective, with The Flight Attendant‘s Natalie Chaidez attached as a writer and executive producer, and Kerry Washington will executive produce as well.

What This Means For Desperate Housewives

The Reboot Balances The Familiar & New Elements

13 years after Desperate Housewives ended, the show is being rebooted with a new cast of characters. Despite Longoria’s interest in playing Gaby again, the reboot is focusing on newer residents of Wisteria Lane instead of returning to Desperate Housewives‘ original characters. This makes sense with the show being a reboot, and when considering that Gaby and the other main characters moved away from Wisteria Lane at the end of the original show.

Desperate Housewives: How Gabby Had Two Children (After Her Accident)

Desperate Housewives’ time jump thrust the series five years ahead, but never explained how Gabby had two daughters despite her previous accident.

It remains to be seen whether the reboot will take place in the same universe, which could give familiar characters the opportunity to appear, regardless of the fact that they never long live on Wisteria Lane. However, the reboot’s only connective tissue could be the premise and the street name. Either way, the new show is receiving a modern update, with the mention of social media being one of many ways the new iteration can feel timely.

Our Take On The Desperate Housewives Reboot

It Has Potential And Can Build On The Original Show’s Legacy

Carlos (Ricardo Antonio Chavira) and Gaby (Eva Longoria) standing outside looking serious on Desperate Housewives

There are other shows like Desperate Housewives, but Wisteria Lane will be the first true successor to the original series. The inclusion of social media will not only make the show feel modern, but will also open up new avenues of societal pressures and betrayal that did not exist when the original show was coming out. Chaidez’s involvement is promising as well, as she was the co-showrunner for The Flight Attendant season 2, which deftly balanced its drama and humor. Washington’s experience makes her involvement also promising and could help give Desperate Housewives a worthy reboot.

Source: Variety