Phrases of Mary Alice - Second Season

2x01 - "Next"

"God may work in mysterious ways, but He isn't particularly subtle.""Deus pode atuar de maneiras misteriosas, mas Ele não é particularmente sutil."

2x02 - "You Could Drive a Person Crazy"

"Control. It's extraordinary the tactics people employ to obtain it. Some rely on deception. While others engage in outright trickery. Then there are those who resort to extortion. Why do we fight so hard for control? Because we know to lose it is to put our fate in the hands of others. And what could be more dangerous?"

"Controle. É incrível o que as pessoas fazem a fim de obtê-lo. Alguns contam com a dissimulação. Outros se rendem à trapaça propriamente dita. E então há aqueles que se utilizam de extorsão. Por que lutamos tão bravamente por controle? Porque sabemos que perdendo-o, colocamos o nosso destino nas mãos dos outros. E o que poderia ser mais perigoso?"

2x03 - "You'll Never Get Away From Me"

"Everyone enjoys a game of make-believe now and then. Of course, the ways in which we play can vary greatly. Sometimes we tell ourselves work won't interfere with our family life. Sometimes, we imagine certain relationships to be more meaningful than they really are. Occasionally, we put on a show, as if to convince ourselves our secrets aren't really all that terrible. Yes, the game of make-believe is a simple one. You start by lying to yourself... And if you can get others to believe those lies, you win."

"Todos gostam de um jogo de faz-de-conta de vez em quando. Claro que as maneiras que jogamos podem variar imensamente. Às vezes nós dizemos a nós mesmos que o trabalho não irá interferir na nossa vida pessoal. Às vezes, imaginamos certos relacionamentos mais significativos do que eles são realmente. Ocasionalmente, nos colocamos na berlinda, como se para nos convencermos que nossos segredos não são tão terríveis assim. Sim, o jogo do faz-de-conta é bem simples. Você começa quando mente pra si próprio... E se você consegue que os outros acreditem em suas mentiras, você vence."

2x04 - "My Heart Belongs to Daddy"

"The world is filled with good fathers. How do we recognize them? They’re the ones who are missed so terribly that everything falls apart in their absence. They’re the ones who love us, long before we’ve even arrived. They’re the ones who come looking for us when we can’t find our way home. Yes, the world is filled with good fathers. And the best are the ones who make the women in their lives... feel like good mothers."

"O mundo está repleto de bons pais. Como os reconhecemos? Eles são aqueles cuja falta é tão sentida que tudo ao redor desmorona sem eles. Eles são aqueles que nos amam, mesmo bem antes de chegarmos a este mundo. Eles são aqueles que vêm nos procurar quando não conseguimos encontrar o caminho de casa. Sim, o mundo está repleto de bons pais. E os melhores são aqueles que fazem as mulheres de suas vidas... se sentirem como boas mães."

2x05 - "They Asked Me Why I Believe in You"

"Everyone in the world needs someone they can depend on. Be they faithful friends... determined advocates... or a loving family. But occasionally in life, the people we thought would always be there for us... leave. And if that happens... it’s amazing the lengths we’ll go to, to get them back."

"Todos no mundo precisa de alguém para se apoiar. Sejam eles amigos leais... Advogados determinados... Ou uma família amorosa. Mas ocasionalmente na vida, as pessoas que pensávamos que sempre estariam lá por nós... partem. E se isso acontece... é incrível as distâncias que percorremos para tê-las de volta."

2x06 - "I Wish I Could Forget You"

"Yes, every little girl dreams of a big white wedding. But some dreams just don’t come true."

"Sim, toda garotinha quer ter o casamento de seus sonhos. Mas alguns sonhos simplesmente não se tornam realidade."

2x07 - "Color and Light"

"Yes, cameras are tools designed to capture images. But in truth, they can capture so much more. They can uncover hidden longing of men who should no longer care. They can reveal the extraordinary secrets of the most ordinary marriages. Most amazing of all, cameras can quietly and clearly reveal to us our dreams. Dreams we didn't even know we had."

"Sim, câmeras são máquinas desenhadas para capturar imagens. Mas na verdade, elas podem capturar muito mais. Elas podem revelar desejos ocultos de homens que não mais deveriam se importar. Podem revelar os extraordinários segredos da maioria dos casamentos comuns. Mais surpreendente de tudo, câmeras podem silenciosa e claramente nos revelar a nossos próprios sonhos. Sonhos que sequer sabíamos que tínhamos."

2x08 - "The Sun Won't Set"

"In a world filled with darkness, we all need some kind of light. Whether it's a great flame that shows us how to win back what we've lost... or a powerful beacon intended to scare away potential monsters... Or a few glowing bulbs that reveal to us the hidden truth of our past. We all need something to help us get through the night. Even if it's just the tiniest glimmer of hope."

"Num mundo de escuridão, todos precisamos de algum tipo de luz. Seja ela uma grande fogueira que nos mostra como reaver tudo aquilo que perdemos... ou um poderoso farol a fim de afugentar possíveis monstros... Ou algumas poucas lâmpadas que nos revelem as verdades ocultas do passado. Todos precisamos de algo que nos ajude a atravessar a noite. Nem que seja a mais fraca luzinha de esperança."

2x09 - "That's Good, That's Bad"

"It's not always that easy to distinguish the good guys from the bad guys. Sinners can surprise you. And the same is true for saints. Why do we try to define people as simply good or simply evil? Because no one wants to admit that compassion and cruelty can live side by side in one heart. And that anyone is capable of anything."

"Nem sempre é fácil distinguir mocinhos de bandidos. Pecadores podem te surpreender. E o mesmo se aplica a santos. Por que tentamos definir as pessoas simplesmente como boas ou más? Porque ninguém quer admitir que a compaixão e a crueldade podem viver lado a lado em um só coração. E que qualquer um é capaz de qualquer coisa."

2x10 - "Coming Home"

"The stories are as old as time itself. The prodigal son who returns home to the father who forgives him. The jealous wife who tricks the husband who trusts her... The desperate mother who risks everything for the child who needs her. And the faithless husband who hurts the wife who loves him so deeply. Why do we listen again and again? Because these are the stories of family, and once we look past the fighting, pain and the resentment... We occasionally like to remind ourselves... there is absolutely nothing more important."

"As histórias são tão velhas quanto o tempo em si: o filho pródigo que a casa retorna pois seu pai o perdoa. A esposa ciumenta que engana o marido que confia nela... A mãe desesperada que arrisca tudo pela criança que precisa dela. E o marido desleal que machuca sua esposa que o ama tanto. Por que as ouvimos tantas vezes? Porque essas são histórias sobre famílias e, uma vez que passamos por cima das brigas e dos ressentimenos... Vez por outra gostamos de nos lembrar... Que não há absolutamente nada mais importante."

2x11 - "One More Kiss"

"The act itself never varies. But each kiss carries with it a meaning all its own. It can convey a husband's eternal devotion. Or a wife's enormous regret. It can symbolize a mother's growing concern. Or a lover's growing passion. But whatever its meaning, each kiss... reflects a basic human need. The need to connect to another human being. This desire is so strong it's always amazing when some people... don’t understand it."

"O ato em si nunca varia. Mas cada beijo tem um significado próprio. Ele pode conter a eterna devoção de um marido. Ou um enorme arrependimento de uma esposa. Pode simbolizar uma preocupação crescente de uma mãe. Ou uma paixão que cresce. Mas qualquer que seja seu significado, cada beijo... ueflete uma necessidade humana básica. A necessidade de conexão com um outro ser umano. Esse desejo é tão forte que é sempre surpreendente quando algumas pessoas... não o compreende."

2x12 - "We're Gonna Be All Right"

"Illness can take on many forms. Those of the body are easy to treat. Much more difficult are the hidden maladies that fester in our hearts. The secret addictions that consume our souls. And the diseases we deny which affect our judgment. To survive we need to find that special someone who can heal us. But we can never predict who have the cure for what ails us. Or when they'll show up."

"Doenças podem ter as mais variadas formas. Aquelas do corpo são de fácil trato. Muito mais complicadas são aquelas mazelas que infestam os nossos corações. Os vícios secretos que consomem nossas almas. E as doenças que negamos e que afetam os nossos julgamentos. Para sobreviver, precisamos achar aquela pessoa especial que pode nos curar. Mas nós nunca conseguimos adivinhar quem tem a cura para o que nos aflige. Ou quando esta pessoa aparecerá."

2x13 - "There's Something About A War"

"Everyone understands the nature of war. We also understand that victory depends on the cards that we have been dealt. Some, when faced with a bloody battle, simply give in. But for some, surrender is unacceptable. Even though they know it will be a fight... to the death."

"Todo mundo compreende a natureza da guerra. Compreendemos também que a vitória depende das cartas que recebemos. Alguns, quando defrontam com uma batalha sangrenta, simplesmente desistem. Mas, para alguns, rendição é algo inaceitável. Memo quando eles sabem que será uma luta... de vida ou morte."

2x14 - "Silly People"

"The world is filled with unlikely friendships. How do they begin? With one person desperately in need and another willing to lend a helping hand. When such kindness is offered, we're finally able to see the worth of those we had previously written off. And before we know it, a bond has formed, regardless of whether others can understand it. Yes, unlikely friendships start up every day. No one understands this more than the lonely. In fact, it's what they count on."

"O mundo está cheio de amizades improváveis. Como estas começam? Com uma pessoa necessitada em desespero e com outra disposta a estender uma mão amiga. Quando tal bondade é oferecida, nós finalmente conseguimos ver o valor daqueles que anteriormente ignoramos. E antes de percebermos, um laço foi formado, não importando se os outros entendem ou não. Sim, amizades improváveis começam todos os dias. Ninguém entende mais do que isso do que os solitários. Na verdade, é com isso que eles contam."

2x15 - "Thank You So Much"

"Now and then, we all need a little help, so we ask for small favors. But it's always best to be wary of those eager to come to our rescue. Because even the smallest of favors... carries a price tag. Yes, everyone has an agenda. No matter what they may tell us. And in those rare instances where there is no ulterior motive... we're so taken aback that we may fail to recognize the truth... that a loving friend has just done us an enormous favor."

"Volta e meia todos nós precisamos de pequenas ajudas, então, nós pedimos pequenos favores. Mas é sempre melhor ficarmos atentos com aqueles que tanto anseiam nos auxiliar. Porque mesmo o menor de todos os favores... vem com um preço a se pagar. Sim, todos têm intenções. Não importa o que eles nos digam. E naqueles raros momentos que não há nenhuma motivação oculta... nós ficamos tão estupefatos que podemos não conseguir reconhecer a verdade. Que uma amiga valorosa acabou de nos fazer um enorme favor".

2x16 - "There's no Other Way"

"Bree Van de Kamp had a weekly routine she'd been following for years. She cleaned on Tuesdays. She paid her bills on Wednesdays. She did her laundry on Thursdays. And after these daily chores were completed, she would reward herself with a little drink. What Bree didn't know was this latest addition to her routine had been noticed by her friends. And it had now become part of their routine to discuss it."

"Bree Van de Kamp tinha uma rotina semanal que ela seguia há anos. Ela fazia a limpeza às terças-feiras. Ela pagava suas contas às quartas-feiras. Ela lavava as roupas todas às quintas-feiras. E depois que estes afazeres domésticos tinham acabado, ela se recompensava com uma pequena bebidinha. O que Bree não sabia era que a mais recente adição a sua rotina fora notada por suas amigas. E que discutí-la agora havia se tornado parte da rotina delas."

2x17 - "Could I Leave You?"

"At that precise moment, as Dr. Hanson Mills was cutting yet another umbilical cord, other ties were being severed all over town. Like the one between a child and the mother who didn't want him to grow up so quickly... or the one between a case of fine wine and the housewife who hadn't wanted to admit that she had a problem... or the one between a woman and the boyfriend who couldn't forgive her betrayal. The choice to separate from what we love is painful... The only thing worse... is when someone we've trusted makes the choice for us."

"Naquele exato momento, enquanto o Dr. Hanson Mills cortava mais um cordão umbilical, outros laços eram cortados pela cidade. Como aquele entre um filho e sua mãe, que não queria que ele crescesse tão rapidamente... Ou aquele entre uma caixa de bons vinhos e a dona de casa que não queria admitir que tinha um problema... Ou aquele entre uma mulher e seu namorado que não pôde perdoar a traição dela. A escolha se separmos daquilo que amamos é dolorosa... A única coisa pior... É quando alguém que confiamos faz essa escolha por nós."

2x18 - "Everybody Says Don't"

"Temptation comes to all of us. Whether or not we succumb depends on our ability to recognize its disguise. Sometimes it arrives in the form of an old flame, flickering back to life. Or a new friend who could end up being so much more. Or a young child who awakens feelings we didn't know we had. And so we give in to temptation, all the while knowing come morning, we'll have to suffer the consequences."

"Tentações ocorrem para todos nós. Se sucumbiremos ou não, depende de nossa habilidade em reconhecer o seu disfarce. Às vezes, ela chaga na forma de uma velha chama, bruxarelando de volta à vida. Ou como um novo amigo que poder terminar sendo muito mais. Ou uma jovem criança que desperta sentimentos que não sabíamos que tínhamos. E então, todos nos entregamos às tentações, ao mesmo tempo sabendo que, na manhã seguinte, todos teremos que encarar as conseqüências."

2x19 - "Don't Look At Me"

"We've all done something in our lives we're ashamed of. Some of us have fallen for the wrong man. Some have let go of the right woman. There are those who have humiliated their parents... and those who have failed their children. Yes, we've all made mistakes that diminish us and those we love. But there is redemption if we try to learn from those mistakes and grow."

"Todos nós já fizemos algo do qual nos envergonhamos. Alguns de nós se apaixonaram pelo homem errado. Alguns deixaram a mulher certa escapar. Há aqueles que humilharam seus pais... e há aqueles que falharam com suas crianças. Sim, todos nós cometemos erros que dimunuem a nós e àqueles que amamaos. Mas há redenção se tentarmos aprender com nossos erros e crescermos."

2x20 - "It Wasn't Meant To Happen"

"There is a prayer intended to give strength to people faced with circumstances they don’t want to accept. The power of the prayer comes from it's insight into human nature. Because so many of us rage against the hand that life has dealt us. Because so many of us are cowardly and afraid to stand up for what is right. Because so many of us give into despair... when faced with an impossible choice. The good news for those who utter these words is that God will hear you and answer your prayer. The bad news is that sometimes... the answer is no."

"Há uma oração para dar forças às pessoas que encaram situações que elas não querem aceitar. O poder de uma oração vem da sua visão sobre a natureza humana. Porque muitos de nós esbravejam contra as cartas que a vida nos deu para jogar. Porque muitos de nós estão covardemente assustados para lutar pelo que é correto. Porque muitos de nós se entregam ao desespero... quando confrontados com uma escolha impossível. As boas notícias para aqueles que proferem tais palavras é que Deus vai ouvir e reponder suas preces. A má notícia é que às vezes... a resposta será não."

2x21 - "I Know Things Now"

"When the truth is ugly, people try to keep it hidden, because they know, if revealed, the damage it will do. So they conceal it within sturdy walls or they place it behind closed doors or they obscure it with clever disguises. But truth, no matter how ugly, always emerges... And someone we care about always ends up getting hurt. And someone else will revel in their pain and that's the ugliest truth of all."

"Quando a verdade é feia, as pessoas tentam mantê-la escondida porque conhecem o estrago que podem fazer se revelada. Então elas a selam entre grossas paredes. Ou então a colocam atrás de portas fechadas. Ou a obscuram com disfarces inteligentes. Mas a verdade sempre aparece, não importa o quão feia seha... E alguém que nós nos importamos sempre acaba machucado. E alguém sempre se revela durante seu momento de dor. E essa é a mais feia de todas as verdades."

"Quando a verdade é cruel, as pessoas tentam esconde-la porque sabem o estrago que fará se for revelada. Então a ocultam entre paredes resistentes... ou as colocam atrás de portas trancadas... ou as encobrem com disfarces inteligentes. Mas a verdade, não importa quão cruel seja, sempre vem à tona. E alguém de quem a gente gosta sempre acaba se machucando. Enquanto outro alguém se aproveita dessa dor. E essa é a mais cruel de todas as verdades. "

2x22 - "No One Is Alone"

"Not everyone enjoys being a small part of a large community. Indeed, some yearn to leave the stress and noise of constant companionship behind them. So they strike out on their own, hoping their solitude will bring a little peace and quiet. It's only then they discover how dangerous it is to be alone in the world."

"Nem todo mundo gosta de ser uma pequena porção de uma grande comunidade. Na verdade, alguns anseiam em deixar o estresse e o barulho constante das pessoas para trás. Então eles saem sozinhos, esperando que a solidão traga um pouco de paz e quietude. E apenas aí que eles descobrem o quão perigoso é estar a só no mundo."

2x23 - "Remember"

"This is the street where I used to live and these were the people with whom I shared my life. I met them the day they moved in... and I saw what they brought with them. Beautiful dreams for the future... and quiet hopes for a better life... not just for themselves, but for their children, too. If I could, would I tell them what lies ahead? Would I warn them of the sorrow and betrayal that lie in store? No. From where I stand now, I see enough of the road to understand how it must be traveled. The trick is to keep moving forward, to let go of the fear and the regret that slow us down and keep us from enjoying a journey that will be over too soon. Yes, there will be unexpected bends in the road, shocking surprises we didn't see coming, but that's really the point. Don't you think?"

"Esta é a rua que eu morava e estas são as pessoas com quem eu compartilhava minha vida. Eu as conheci no dia em que elas se mudaram... e eu vi o que elas trouxeram consigo. Lindos sonhos para o futuro... e esperanças silenciosas de uma vida melhor... não apenas para si mesmas, mas para suas crianças também. Se eu pudesse, será que eu diria a elas o que viria por aí? Será que eu as avisaria das tristezas e traições reservadas? Não. Daqui onde estou agora, eu vejo o suficiente da estrada para entender como ela deve ser percorrida. O truque é tentar continuar indo em frente, se liberando do medo e do arrependimento que nos desaceleram e que não nos permitem desfrutar uma jornada que acabará em bre. Sim, haverá curvas inesperadas no caminho, surpresas inesperadas que não esperávamos, mas isso que é o interessante. Você não acha?"

Phrases of Mary Alice

1x01 - "Pilot"

"My name is Mary Alice Young. When you read this morning's paper, you may come across an article about the unusual day I had last week. Normally, there is never anything newsworthy about my life. But that all changed last Thursday."

"Of course, everything seemed quite normal at first. I made breakfast for my family. I performed my chores. I completed my projects. I ran my errands. In truth, I spent the day as I spent every other day, quietly polishing the routine of my life. Until it gleamed with perfection. That's why it was so astonishing when I decided to go to my hallway closet and retrieve a revolver that had never been used."

"Meu nome é Mary Alice Young. Quando você ler esse jornal, você perceberá uma matéria sobre um dia estranho que eu tive na semana passada... Normalmente não ocorre nada noticiável em minha vida.Mas tudo mudou na quinta passada."

"Naturalmente, tudo parecia normal à primeira vista. Fiz café-da-manhã para minha família. Fiz minhas compras. Completei meus projetos. Terminei meus deveres. A bem da verdade, eu passei o dia do jeito que sempre passei os outros: silenciosamente polindo a rotina da minha vida. Até que ela brilhasse com perfeição. Por isso que foi tão surpreendente quando eu decidi ir até o armário do corredor e pegar um revólver que nunca tinha sido usado."


1x02 - "Ah, But Underneath"

"An odd thing happens when we die. Our senses vanish. Taste, touch, smell, and sound become a distant memory. But our sight. Ah. Our sight expands. And we can suddenly see the world we left behind so clearly. Of course, most of what's visible to the dead can also be seen by the living. If they only take the time to look."

"Uma coisa estranha acontece quando morremos. Nossos sentidos se vão. Sabores, toques, cheiros e sons se tornam uma memória distante. Mas nossa visão... Ah, nossa visão se expande. De repente, conseguimos ver claramente o mundo que deixamos para trás. Claro, a maioria das coisas que são visíveis aos mortos também podem ser vistas por vivos. Se eles apenas parassem para ver."


1x03 - "Pretty Little Picture"
"Yes, I remember the world. Every detail. And what I remember the most is how afraid I was. What a waste! You see, to live in fear, is not to live at all. I wish I could tell this to those I left behind, but would it do any good? Probably not. I understand now, there will always be those who face their fears... and there will always be those who run away."

"Sim, eu me lembro do mundo. De cada detalhe. E o que eu mais me lembro, era de quão assustada eu era. Que tolice! Veja você que viver no medo não é viver de verdade. Eu gostaria de dizer isso àqueles que eu deixei para trás, mas isso faria algum bem? Provavelmente não. Agora eu compreendo que sempre haverá aqueles que encaram seus medos... e sempre haverá aqueles que fugirão."


1x04 - "Who's That Woman?"

"When I was alive, I maintained many different identities: lover, wife, and ultimately, victim. Yes, labels are important to the living. They dictate how people see themselves"

"Quando eu estava viva, eu mantinha diferentes identidades: afetuosa, esposa e, no final, vítima. Sim, rótulos são importantes na vida. Eles ditam como as pessoas vêem a si mesmas."



1x05 - "Come In, Stranger"

"People, by their very nature, are always on the lookout for intruders, trying to prevent those on the outside from getting in. But there will always be those who force their way into our lives just as there will be those we invite in. But the most troubling of all will be the ones who stand on the outside looking in... the ones we never truly get to know."

"As pessoas, por sua própria natureza, são sempre cautelosas com intrusos, tentando previnir que pessoas de fora entrem. Mas sempre haverá aqueles que abrem seus caminhos dentro de nossas vidas, bem como aqueles que nós convidamos a adentrar. Mas o mais perturbador são aqueles que ficam do lado de fora, apenas olhando... aqueles que nós nunca verdadeiramente conheceremos."

1x06 - "Running To Stand Still"

"Suburbia is a battleground, an arena for all forms of domestic combat. Husbands clash with wives, parents cross swords with children, but the bloodiest battles often involve women and their mothers-in-law."

"O subúrbio é uma zona de guerra, uma arena para todos os tipos de combates domésticos. Maridos colidem com suas esposas, pais duelam seus filhos com espadas. Mas as batalhas mais sangrentas geralmente envolvem mulheres e suas sogras."


1x07 - "Anything You Can Do"

"Competition, it means different things to different people. But whether it’s a friendly rivalry... or a fight to the death, the end result is the same. There will be winners - and there will be losers. Of course, the trick is to know which battles to fight. You see, no victory comes without a price."

"Competição significa coisas diferentes para pessoas diferentes. Mas seja ela uma rivalidade amistosa... ou uma luta até a morte, o resultado final é sempre o mesmo. Haverá ganhadores - e haverá perdedores. Claro, o truque é saber quais batalhas travar. Veja você, toda vitória tem seu preço."


1x08 - "Guilty"

"There is a widely read book that tells us everyone is a sinner. Of course, not everyone feels guilt over the bad things they do. In contrast, there are those who assume more than their share of the blame. There are others, who sooth their consciences with small acts of kindness. Or by telling themselves their sins were justified. Finally, there are the ones who simply vow to do better next time, and pray for forgiveness. Sometimes, their prayers are answered."

"Há um livro extremamente conhecido que diz que todos nós somos pecadores. Claro que nem todos se sentem culpados pelas coisas ruins que fazem. Em contra-partida, há aqueles que assumem mais do que sua parcela de culpa. Há outros que acalmam suas consciências com pequenos atos de bondade. Ou dizendo a si mesmos que seus pecados eram justificáveis. Por último, há aqueles que simplesmente prometem fazer melhor na próxima oportunidade e que rezam por perdão. Às vezes, suas preces são ouvidas."


1x09 - "Suspicious Minds"

"People are complicated creatures. On the one hand, able to perform great acts of charity. On the other, capable of the most underhanded forms of betrayal. It's a constant battle that ranges within all of us, between the better angels of our nature, and the temptation of our inner demons. And sometimes the only way to ward off the darkness... is to shine the light of compassion."

"Pessoas são criaturas complicadas. Por um lado, são capazes de ter grandes atos de caridade. Por outro lado, são capazed das mais desprezíveis formas de traição. É uma batalha constantemente travada dentro de nós: entre os melhores anjos de nossa natureza e as tentações de nossos demônios interiores. E as vezes, a única maneira de espantar a escuridão... é fazendo a luz de nossa compaixão brilhar."


1x10 - "Come Back To Me"

"Trust is a fragile thing... Once earned, it affords us tremendous freedom. But once trust is lost, it can be impossible to recover. Of course the truth is, we never know who we can trust. Those we're closest to can betray us. And total strangers can come to our rescue. In the end, most people decide to trust only themselves. It really is the simplest way to keep from getting burned."

"Confiança é uma coisa frágil... Uma vez conquistada, nos dá uma tremenda liberdade. Mas uma vez que a confiança é perdida, pode ser impossível recuperá-la. É claro que a verdade é que nós nunca sabemos em quem podemos confiar. Aqueles que são mais próximos podem nos trair. E completos estranhos podem vir em nosso resgate. No final, a maioria das pessoas decidem confiar apenas em si mesmas. É realmente a maneira mais simples para evitar ser magoado."


1x11 - "Move On"

"We are all searching for someone. That special person who will provide us what's missing in our lives. Someone who can offer companionship... or assistance... or security... And sometimes if we search very hard, we can find someone who provides us... with all three. Yes, we are all searching for someone. And if we can't find them, we can only pray... they find us."

"Estamos todos procurando por alguém. Essa pessoa especial que nos proverá aquilo que falta em nossas vidas. Alguém que possa oferecer companhia... ou assistência... ou segurança... E às vezes, se procurarmos bastante, podemos achar alguém que nos providencie todas essas três coisas. Sim, nós todos estamos a procura de alguém. E se não conseguirmos encontrar esse alguém, apenas podemos rezar... para que ele nos ache."


1x12 - "Every Day A Little Death"

"Death is inevitable. It’s a promise made to each of us at birth. But before that promise is kept, we all hope something will happen to us. Whether it is the thrill of romance... The joy of raising a family... Or the anguish of great loss... We all hope to experience something that make our lives meaningful. But the sad fact is, not all lives have meaning. Some people spend their time on this planet just sitting on the sidelines... waiting for something to happen to them, before it’s too late."

"A morte é inevitável. É uma promessa feita a cada um de nós ao nascermos. Mas antes dessa promessa se cumprir, nós todos esperamos que algo aconteça a nós. Seja ela a emoção de um romance... ou a felicidade em ter uma família... Ou a angústia de uma grande perda... Todos esperamos expenciar algo que torne nossas vidas significativas. Mas o fato mais triste é que nem todas as vidas têm um significado. Algumas pessoas passam seu tempo no planeta sentados no meio-fio... esperando que algo aconteça a elas antes que seja tarde demais."


1x13 - "Your Fault"

"Sooner or later, the time comes when we all must become responsible adults... and learn to give up what we want, so we can chose to do what is right. Of course, a lifetime of responsibility isn’t always easy. And as the years go on, it’s a burden that can become too heavy for some to bear. But still we try to do what is best, what is good. Not only for ourselves, but for those we love. Yes, sooner or later we must all become responsible adults. No one knows this better than the young."

"Mais cedo ou mais tarde, chega a hora de nos tornarmos adultos responsáveis... e de aprendermos a desistir do que queremos, para podermos escolher o que é certo. Clado, uma vida de responsabilidades não é sempre fácil. E com o passar dos anos, é um fardo que pode se tornar muito pesado para alguns. Ainda assim, tentamos fazer o que é o melhor, o que é bom. Não apenas para nós mesmos, mas para aqueles que amamos. Sim, mais cedo ou mais tarde, nós todos temos que nos tornar adultos responsáveis. Ninguém sabe mais disso do que os jovens."


1x14 - "Love Is In The Air"

"It’s impossible to grasp just how powerful love is... it can sustain us through trying times... or motivate us to make extraordinary sacrifices. It can force decent men to commit the darkest deeds... or compel ordinary women to search for hidden truths. And long after we’re gone, love remains burned into our memories. We all search for love, but some of us, after we found it, wish we hadn’t"

"É impossível conceber o quão poderoso amor é... ele pode nos sustentar em tempos exaustivos... ou motivarnos a fazermos os mais extraordinários sacrifícios. Pode forçar homens decentes aos mais obscuros feitos... ou compelir mulheres comuns a procurar por verdades ocultas. E mesmo depois de partirmos, o amor permanece marcado em nossas lembranças. Todos nós procuramos por amor, mas alguns de nós, depois de o encontrarmos, desejamos que não o tivéssemos."


1x15 - "Impossible"
"Yes, each new day in suburbia brings with it a new set of lies. The worst are the ones we tell ourselves before we fall asleep. We whisper them in the dark, telling ourselves we're happy... or that HE's happy... that we can change... or that he will change his mind. We persuade ourselves we can live with our sins... or that we can live without him. Yes. Each night before we fall asleep we lie to ourselves in a desperate, desperate hope that, come morning, it will all be true."

"Sim, cada novo dia no subúrbio traz consigo mais mentiras. As piores são aquelas que dizemos a nós mesmo antes de adormecermos. Nós as sussurramos na escuridão, dizendo a nós mesmos que nós somos felizes... ou que ele que é feliz... que nós podemos mudar... ou que ele vai mudar de idéia. Nós nos persuadimos a acreditar que podemos conviver com nossos pecados... ou então que podemos viver sem ele. Sim. A cada noite antes de dormirmos, mentimos a nós mesmos com uma desesperada esperança que, ao amanhecer, tudo será verdade."


1x16 - "The Ladies Who Lunch"
"Yes, everyone loves a scandal...no matter how big or small. After all...what could be more entertaining than watching the downfall of the high and mighty? What could be more amusing than the public exposure of hypocritical sinners? Yes, everyone loves a scandal. And if for some reason, you're not enjoying the latest one... well... the next one is always around the corner."

"Sim, todo mundo ama um escândalo... Não importando o seu tamanho. Afinal... O que pode ser mais divertido que assistir à queda dos poderosos? O que pode ser mais satisfatório que a exposição pública de pecadores hipócritas? Sim, todos amam um escândalo. E se por alguma razão você não está se deliciando com o último... bem... O próximo sempre surge logo em seguida."


1x17 - "There Won't Be Trumpets"

"We all honor heroes for different reasons. Sometimes for their daring... Sometimes for their bravery... Sometimes for their goodness... But mostly we honor heroes because at one point or another, we all dream of being rescued. Of course, if the right hero doesn’t come along, sometimes we just have to rescue ourselves."

"Todos nós estimamos heróis por diferentes motivos. Às vezes é devido a ousadia... Outras vezes, por sua bravura... Às vezes, pela bondade deles... Mas, geralmente, estimamos heróis porque, em um nível ou outro, nós todos sonhamos em sermos salvos. Claro que, se o herói correto não aparece, às vezes nós temos que salvar a nós mesmos."


1x18 - "Children Will Listen"

"Children come into the world with their own agendas. Some to brighten our days... Some to test our patience... Some to give us purpose... Some to take care of us... Yes, when they come children change everything. Especially when they're not invited."

"As crianças chegam ao mundo com diferentes propósitos... Algumas para iluminar nossos dias... Algumas para testarem nossas paciências... Algumas para dar significados a nossas vidas... Algumas para tomar conta de nós... Sim, quando elas chegam, as crianças mudam tudo. Especialmente quando elas não eram esperadas."


1x19 - "Live Alone and Like It"

"Yes, life is a journey. One that is much better traveled with a companion by our side. Of course, that companion can be just about anyone. A neighbor on the other side of the street... Or the man on the other side of the bed. The companion can be a mother with good intentions... Or a child who's up to no good. Still, despite our best intentions, some of us will lose our companions along the way. And then the journey becomes unbearable. You see, human beings are designed for many things, but loneliness isn't one of them."

"Sim, a vida é uma jornada que se torna muito melhor com um companheiro a nosso lado. Claro, esse companheiro pode ser qualquer pessoa. Um vizinho do outro lado da rua... Ou um homem do outro lado da cama. Uma companhia pode ser uma mãe com boas intenções... Ou um jovem planejando algo nada bom. Ainda assim, apesar de nossas melhores intenções, alguns de nós perderão sua companhia durante o caminho. E então a nossa jornada se tornará insuportável. Veja você que os seres humanos foram feitos para várias coisas, mas viver na solidão não é uma dessas."


1x20 - "Fear No More"

"Spring comes every year to Wisteria Lane, but not everyone remembers to stop and smell the flowers. Some are too busy worrying about the future... Or mistakes they've made in the past. Others are preoccupied with not getting caught. Or thinking of ways to catch someone else. Still, there will always be a few who remember to take a moment and appreciate what spring has given them. Just as there will always be those who prefer to sit in the dark brooding over everything they've lost"

"A primavera chega todos os anos em Wisteria Lane, mas nem todos se lembram de parar para cheirar as flores. Alguns estão muito ocupados se preocupando com o futuro... Ou com erros cometidos no passado. Outros estão preocupados em não serem pegos. Ou então pensando em maneira de como pegar os outros. Ainda assim, sempre haverá alguns poucos que se lembrarão de reservar um momento e apreciar tudo que a primavera lhes propiciou. Assim como sempre haverá aqueles que preferem sentar na escuridão, se lamentando por tudo aquilo que perderam."


1x21 - "Sunday In the Park With George"

"The vow is simple, really. Those who take it promise to stay together for better or for worse. For richer or for poorer. In sickness and in health. To honor and to cherish. Forsaking all others. Until death do us part. Yes, the vow is simple. Finding someone worthy of such a promise is the hard part. But if we can, that’s when we begin to live happily ever after."

"Os votos são simpes. De verdade. Aqueles que o fazem, prometem assim se manterem em todos os momentos. Na riqueza ou na pobreza. Na saúde e na doença. Para honrar e compartilhar. Renunciando a outrem. Até que a morte nos separe. Sim, os votos são simples. Achar alguém que valha tais votos é que é a parte difícil. Mas se conseguirmos, é aí que começaremos a viver felizes para sempre."


1x22 - "Goodbye For Now"

"Nothing is forever and the time comes when we all must say goodbye to the world we knew. Goodbye to everything we had taken for granted. Goodbye to those we though would never abandon us. And when these changes finally do occur, when the familiar has departed and the unfamiliar has taken its place, all any of us can really do is to say hello and welcome."

"Nada é para sempre e chega um momento onde todos devemos dizer adeus ao mundo como o conhecíamos. Adeus a tudo que tínhamos como certo. Adeus àqueles que pensávamos que nunca nos abandonariam. E quando essas mudanças finalmente acontecem, quando o conhecido se foi e o desconhecido tomou seu lugar, tudo que qualquer um de nós realmente pode fazer é dizer olá e dar as boas-vindas."


1x23 - "One Wonderful Day"

"It's an odd thing to look back on the world, to watch those I left behind. Each in her own way so brave, so determined, and so very desperate. Desperate to venture out, but afraid of what she'll miss when she goes. Desperate to get everything she wants, even when she's not exactly sure of what that is. Desperate for life to be perfect again, although she realizes it never really was. Desperate for a better future, if she can find a way to escape her past. I not only watch, I cheer them on, these amazing women. I hope so much they'll find what they're looking for. But I know not all of them will. Sadly, that’s just not the way life works. Not everyone gets a happy ending."

"É estranho olhar de volta ao mundo, assistir àquelas que eu deixei para trás. Cada uma delas - e a sua maneira - tão valente, tão determinada e tão desesperada. Desesperada a se aventurar, mas receosa do que ela sentirá falta quando se for. Desesperada em ter tudo o que ela quer, mesmo quando ela não sabe exatamente o que quer. Desesperada para que a vida volte a ser perfeita novamente, mesmo ela percebendo que nunca houve perfeição. Desesperada por um futuro melhor, se conseguir alguma maneira de fugir de seu passado. Eu não apenas assisto, eu torço por essas fantásticas mulheres. Eu realmente espero que elas encontrem o que elas estão procurando. Mas eu sei que nem todas elas conseguirão isso. Infelizmente, não é dessa maneira que a vida funciona. Nem todo mundo tem um final feliz."

Desperate Housewives (In Portuguese)

Desperate Housewives (em Portugal, Donas de Casa Desesperadas) é uma série de televisão estadunidense, criada por Marc Cherry, e transmitida na ABC desde 2004. Em Wisteria Lane na cidade ficcional de Fairview, o tema da série é a vida de cinco donas de casa, durante as suas lutas domésticas enquanto vários mistérios são desvendados. O estilo da série combina com elementos de drama, comédia, mistério e novela. Em Portugal, foi transmitido pela FOX e é atualmente transmitido pelos canais SIC e Fox Life e no Brasil pela RedeTV! e pela Sony. A série teve 15 indicações para o Emmy Awards em 2005, ganhando 6. Em 2006, obteve indicações principalmente nas categorias técnicas. Em 2005 foi uma das séries mais vistas em todo o mundo. Há ainda uma versão argentina da série que já terminou sua primeira temporada, sendo um relativo sucesso de audiência.

Produção
A idéia da série surgiu quando Marc Cherry e sua mãe estavam vendo na televisão uma matéria sobre Andrea Yates, mulher que havia afogado seus cinco filhos na banheira, um por um, aparentemente porquê não suportava o peso da maternidade.Antes de Desperate Housewives, Cherry foi conhecido pela produção de séries de comédia como The Golden Girls e seguida de Golden Palace. Também havia outras três séries The Five Mrs. Buchanans, The Crew e Some Of My Friends, nenhuma destas durou mais de um ano . Inicialmente Cherry mostrou a série a HBO, CBS, NBS,Fox, Showtime e Lifetime, mas não foi aceita por nenhum dos canais. Por último, dois novos executivos da ABC, Lloidy braun e Susan Lyne deram luz verde a Marc para transmitir o episódio piloto.
Os executivos da ABC não estavam satisfeito inicialmente com o título da nova série, tanto que sugeriram que o título fosse Wisteria Lane e as vidas secretas das donas de casa.
Em 18 de maio de 2004,a ABC anunciou o horário estável da série, todos os domingos de 21:00 ás 22:00 horas.
A série há alcançado grandes indices de audiência, junto com Lost, revivendo tempos passados de fortuna da ABC, cujo o último éxito havia sido Quem quer ser milionário?.

Elenco
Ver página anexa: Lista de personagens de Desperate Housewives
O elenco de Desperate Housewives é grande, tendo tido já mais de trinta atores regulares no decorrer da série, embora por vezes vários atores interpretam uma só personagem.

Principal
Teri Hatcher - Susan Mayer
Felicity Huffman - Lynette Scavo
Marcia Cross - Bree Hodge
Eva Longoria Parker - Gabrielle Solis
Nicollette Sheridan - Edie Britt
Brenda Strong - Mary Alice Young
Dana Delany - Katherine Mayfair
James Denton - Mike Delfino
Ricardo Antonio Chavira - Carlos Solis
Doug Savant - Tom Scavo
Andrea Bowen - Julie Mayer
Shawn Pyfrom - Andrew Van De Kamp
Joy Lauren - Danielle Van De Kamp
Kyle MacLachlan - Orson Hodge (3ª temporada)
Mark Moses - Paul Young (1ª e 2ª temporada)
Cody Kasch - Zach Young (1ª,2ª e 3ª temporada)
Steven Culp - Rex Van De Kamp (1ª temporada)
Jesse Metcalfe - John Rowland (1ª e 3ª temporada)
Alfre Woodard - Betty Applewhite (2ª temporada)
Mehcad Brooks - Matthew Applewhite (2ª temporada)
Page Kennedy e NaShawn Kearse - Caleb Applewhite (2ª temporada)
Richard Burgi - Karl Mayer (1ª e 2ª temporada)
Roger Bart - George Williams (episódios 25-32)
Josh Henderson - Austin McCann (episódios 48-63)
Lyndsy Fonseca - Dylan Mayfair (4ª temporada)
Neal McDonough - Dave Williams (5ª temporada)
Brent Kinsman - Preston Scavo (1ª à 4ª temporadas)
Shane Kinsman - Porter Scavo (1ª à 4ª temporada)
Zane Huett - Parker Scavo (1ª à 4ª temporada)
Rachel Fox - Kayla Scavo (3ª e 4ª temporadas)
Max Carver - Preston Scavo (5ª temporada)
Charlie Carver - Porter Scavo (5ª temporada)
Joshua Logan Moore - Parker Scavo (5ª temporada)
Kendall Applegate - Penny Scavo (5ª temporada)

Temporadas
A série Desperate Housewives teve, até agora, na sua longevidade, quatro temporadas. A quinta temporada da série estreou nos EUA em 28 Setembro 2008.

1ª Temporada
Ver artigo principal: Primeira Temporada de Desperate Housewives
A primeira temporada da série, que estreou em 03 Outubro 2004 e concluiu a sua transmissão original em 22 Maio 2005, apresenta-nos a dona de casa Mary Alice Young (Brenda Strong), que aparentemente é uma mulher feliz, mas que no entanto se suicida no episódio piloto. Do seu elevado estado lá no céu, Mary Alice apresenta-nos a Wisteria Lane, o bairro onde costumava morar, à sua família, Paul (o marido) (Mark Moses) e Zach Young (o filho) (Cody Kasch), e ao seu círculo de amigas e vizinhas, que inclui: Susan Mayer (Teri Hatcher), uma mãe recentemente divorciada, que é um pouco trapalhona e que procura amor, encontrando-o no coração do novo vizinho, o canalizador Mike Delfino (James Denton); Lynette Scavo (Felicity Huffman), uma mãe de quatro crianças rebeldes e mal-comportadas, que é assoberbada pelos problemas familiares, depois de ter desistido da sua carreira de sucesso para se tornar numa mãe a tempo inteiro; Bree Van De Kamp (Marcia Cross), uma mulher perfeccionista que vê a sua vida familiar a desmoronar velozmente; Gabrielle Solis (Eva Longoria), uma ex-top model transformada numa esposa-troféu, que consegue escapar à sua rotina aborrecida ao ter um caso amoroso com o jardineiro adolescente, John (Jesse Metcalfe); e Edie Britt (Nicollette Sheridan), uma agente imobiliária que tem uma vida amorosa picante e escandalosa. Juntas, as mulheres de Wisteria Lane tentam descobrir porque é que Mary Alice se suicidou.

2ª Temporada
Ver artigo principal: Segunda Temporada de Desperate Housewives
Na segunda temporada, que estreou em 25 Setembro 2005, e concluiu a sua transmissão original em 21 Maio 2006, as donas de casa já sabem porque razão Mary Alice se suicidou, e as suas vidas seguem em frente. O mistério central da segunda temporada reside na família de Betty Applewhite (Alfre Woodard), que se mudou para Wisteria Lane a meio da noite. Na segunda temporada, a relação de Susan e Mike encontra vários obstáculos depois de se descobrir que Mike é o pai biológico de Zach, Lynette volta a trabalhar numa empresa de marketing enquanto Tom fica em casa a tomar conta dos filhos, Bree encontra problemas com George (Roger Bart) e os seus filhos depois da morte de Rex, o que a leva a virar-se para o álcool, com Carlos (Ricardo Antonio Chavira) na prisão Gabrielle tem de se habituar à maternidade, e Edie começa a dormir com Karl Mayer (Richard Burgi), o ex-marido de Susan.

3ª Temporada
Ver artigo principal: Terceira Temporada de Desperate Housewives
Na terceira temporada, que estreou em 24 Setembro 2006, e concluiu a sua transmissão original em 20 Maio 2007, começa uma nova era na série, pois por esta altura os até então produtores executivos Michael Edelstein e Tom Spezialy tinham deixado a equipa de produção. O mistério central baseia-se nos segredos de Orson Hodge (Kyle MacLachlan), o novo interesse romântico de Bree. Mike encontra-se num coma depois de ter sido atropelado, e quando acorda não se lembra dos últimos dois anos da sua vida. Susan conhece Ian Hainsworth (Dougray Scott), um homem britânico rico cuja esposa se encontra num coma. Lynette conhece a sua adorável enteada, Kayla, (Rachel Fox), e tem vários problemas relacionados com a carreira do seu marido, Tom (Doug Savant), e a sua rival Nora (Kiersten Warren), a mãe de Kayla, assim como com o manager que contrata para a Scavo Pizzeria, Rick Coletti (Jason Gedrick) e uma doença que lhe é diagnostica no final da temporada. Bree aceita casar-se com Orson, mas os seus segredos constituem uma ameaça constante para a relação. Gabrielle e Carlos divorciam-se, e Gabrielle tenta seguir em frente com a sua vida e provar não só aos outros mas a si própria que é uma mulher independente. Edie começa por enganar Mike, como modo de vingança em relação a Susan, e mais tarde acaba por se relacionar com Carlos. Julie Mayer (Andrea Bowen), a filha de Susan, começa uma relação com Austin McCann (Josh Henderson), o sobrinho de Edie.

4ª Temporada
Ver artigo principal: Quarta Temporada de Desperate Housewives
Na quarta temporada, Katherine Mayfair (Dana Delany) regressa a Wisteria Lane, depois de ter deixado a rua há 12 anos atrás, e traz consigo vários segredos, que escondem as razões pelas quais se foi embora de Wisteria Lane há anos atrás e voltou para Wisteria Lane de Chicago. Susan descobre que está grávida, enquanto Mike se vicia em comprimidos e Julie se prepara para ir para a universidade. Lynette lida com a sua doença e a sua mãe radical, Stella (Polly Bergen), e mais tarde volta a ter problemas com Rick e Kayla. Bree esconde a gravidez da filha, Danielle (Joy Lauren), e mais tarde separa-se de Orson ao descobrir que ele atropelou Mike. Gabrielle começa um caso amoroso com Carlos e Edie sobrevive à sua tentativa de suicídio, chantageando Carlos. No final da quarta temporada, a série avança cinco anos no futuro, e as vidas das donas de casa mudaram drasticamente.

5ª Temporada
Ver artigo principal: Quinta Temporada de Desperate Housewives
Na quinta temporada, a acção da série avançou cinco anos no futuro, para o ano 2013. As personagens estão cinco anos mais velhas e as suas vidas mudaram bastante. Susan tem um novo interesse romântico, Jackson Hart (Gale Harold), mas Mike ainda se encontra por perto, a morar em Wisteria Lane. A Scavo Pizzeria é um restaurante de maior sucesso agora, e os gémeos de Lynette são delinquentes juvenis. Bree é uma autora de livros de culinária, e Katherine faz parte da sua equipe. Katherine sente-se mal pois Bree é uma estrela e ela não, apesar de terem começado o negócio de culinária juntas há cinco anos atrás. Gabrielle tem duas filhas e um marido cego, e a pressão familiar começa a afectá-la. Edie regressa a Wisteria Lane com um novo marido, Dave (Neal McDonough) e novos segredos.

Início das transmissões internacionais por data
Estados Unidos da América e Canadá: 3 de Outubro, 2004 na ABC (EUA) e CTV (Canadá)
Alemanha: 14 de Outubro, 2004 no Premiere (pay per view, com legendas).
América Latina: 4 de Novembro, 2004 na Sony Entertainment Television
Brasil: 4 de Novembro, 2004 pelo Canal Sony e 3 de Setembro, 2006 na RedeTV!
Irlanda: 4 de Janeiro, 2005 na RTE2.
Reino Unido: 5 de Janeiro, 2005 no Channel 4.
Bélgica: 21 de Janeiro, 2005 na één.
Austrália: 31 de Janeiro, 2005 na Seven Network.
Croácia: 17 de Fevereiro, 2005 no canal nova.
Dinamarca: 2 de Março, 2005 na TV2
Itália: 22 de Fevereiro, 2005 na FOX Life.
Turquia: 28 de Fevereiro, 2005 na CNBC-é.
Países Baixos: 1 de Março, 2005 na Net 5.
Espanha: 3 de Março, 2005 na FOX.
Suécia: 29 de Março, 2005 no Kanal 5.
Suíça: 11 de Abril, 2005 na SF 1, TSR 1 e TSI 1.
Alemanha: 12 de Abril, 2005 no PRO 7 (traduzido em Alemão).
México: 3 de Maio, 2005 no Canal 7 (VHF). Contudo, foi inicialmente transmitido pela Sony Entertainment Television vários meses antes.
Hong Kong: 12 de Maio, 2005 na TVB Pearl.
Portugal:(1ª Temporada) - 22 de Maio, 2005 na SIC; e duas semanas antes na FOX.(2ª Temporada) - 3 de Abril, 2006 na FOX; 4 de Abril, 2006 na SIC.(3ª Temporada) - 28 de Março, 2007 na SIC; 2 de Abril, 2007 na FOX.(4ª Temporada) - 8 de Janeiro, 2008 na FOX Life.

Premiações
2005: Globo de Ouro - Melhor Série Televisiva (Musical ou Comédia)
2006: Globo de Ouro - Melhor Série Televisiva (Musical ou Comédia)

Jogo de computador
Um jogo de computador foi produzido pela Buena Vista Games, intitulado de Desperate Housewives:O Jogo.

Versão brasileira
Ver artigo principal: Donas de Casa Desesperadas
"Donas de Casa Deseperadas" é uma série de televisão dramática brasileira exibida pela RedeTV! em parceria com a Disney. A série é uma versão brasileira de Desperate Housewives.

Curiosidades
- Quase todas as músicas de Desperate Housewives são gravadas normalmente, e reproduzidas ao contrário no episódio.
- Antes da Touchstone oferecer Desperate Housewives à ABC, no episódio original, Mary Alice Young era interpretada por Sheryl Lee, John Rowland por Kyle Searles, e Rex Van De Kamp por Michael Reilly Burke. Lee foi substituído por Brenda Strong, ambas tinham desempenhado vários papéis de pessoas que morreram antes, Strong em Everwood e Lee em Twin Peaks.
- A abertura inicial traz referencias a várias obras de arte famosas.
- A maior parte dos títulos dos episódios são derivados de músicas de Stephen Sondheim.
- O tema principal da série é de autoria de Danny Elfman.
- Laura Bush, esposa do presidente dos Estados Unidos Geoge Bush, disse que assiste Desperate Housewives com suas amigas, e é uma grande fã.

Curiosidades : Religião das Donas de casa
Bree Hodge - Evangélica Presbiteriana.
Gabrielle Solis - Católica
Edie Britt - Católica
Julie Mayer - Não religiosa, em um epsódio foi a Igreja Batista
Susan Mayer - Não religiosa
Lynette Scavo - Católica, na quarta temporada foi a igreja Presbiteriana de Bree
Tom Scavo - Católico
Carlos Solis - Católico
Orson Hodge - Evangélico

Ligações externas
Desperate Housewives no Internet Movie Database (em inglês)
ABC: Desperate Housewives (em inglês)
Donas de Casa Desesperadas - SIC Online (em português)
Desperate Housewives - Sony Entertainmet Television (Brasil) (em português)
Desperate Housewives - RedeTV! (Brasil) (em português)

Desperate Housewives (In English)

Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series, created by Marc Cherry, who also serves as show runner, and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producers, as of the fourth season, are Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W. Perkins, John Pardee and Joey Murphy, David Grossman, Larry Shaw and Sabrina Wind.
The setting of the show is the street of Wisteria Lane in the fictional American town of Fairview, Eagle State. It follows the lives of a group of women, seen through the eyes of their dead neighbor, as they work through domestic struggles and family life, while facing the secrets, crimes and mysteries hidden behind the doors of their – at the surface – beautiful suburban neighborhood. The show features an ensemble cast, headed by Teri Hatcher as Susan Mayer, Felicity Huffman as Lynette Scavo, Marcia Cross as Bree Hodge, Eva Longoria Parker as Gabrielle Solis, Nicollette Sheridan as Edie Britt and, from season 4 onwards, Dana Delany as Katherine Mayfair. Brenda Strong narrates the show as the deceased Mary Alice Young.
Since its premiere on ABC on October 3, 2004, the show has been well received by the critics as well as the audience. The show is a multiple Emmy, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild award winner, and in April 2007 it was reported to be the most popular show in its demographic worldwide, with an audience of approximately 115 to 119 million viewers.[1]

Production
The idea for the series was thought up as Marc Cherry and his mother were watching a news report on Andrea Yates. Prior to Desperate Housewives, Cherry was best known for producing and writing episodes of Touchstone Television’s hit comedy series The Golden Girls and its successor The Golden Palace. In addition he had created or co-created three sitcoms: The Five Mrs. Buchanans, The Crew and Some of My Best Friends, none of which lasted longer than a year. Initially Cherry had a hard time getting any television network interested in his new series – HBO, CBS, NBC, Fox, Showtime, and Lifetime all turned his offer down.[2] Finally, two new executives at ABC, Lloyd Braun and Susan Lyne, chose to greenlight it.[3] Shortly thereafter, Disney had both Braun and Lyne fired, following their approval of another new drama series: Lost.[4]
The ABC executives weren’t initially satisfied with the name of the new show, suggesting Wisteria Lane and The Secret Lives of Housewives instead,[5] but on October 23, 2003, Desperate Housewives was announced by ABC, presented as a prime time soap opera created by Charles Pratt Jr. of Melrose Place fame, and Marc Cherry, who declared the new show to be a mix of Knots Landing and American Beauty.[6] While Cherry continued his work on the show, Pratt was credited as executive producer for the pilot episode only, remaining linked to the show as a consulting producer during the first two seasons.
On May 18, 2004 ABC announced their 2004–2005 lineup, with Desperate Housewives in the Sunday, 9:00-10:00 p.m., ET slot,[7] which it still holds. After only three episodes aired, on October 20, ABC announced that Desperate Housewives, along with Lost, had been picked up for a full season.[8]
Desperate Housewives is produced by creator Marc Cherry (Cherry Productions) and Touchstone Television (Fall 2004-Spring 2007), which is now ABC Studios (Fall 2007-present).
On February 11, 2008, ABC picked up Desperate Housewives for the 2008-09 television season.[9] The fifth season of the series debuted on Sunday, September 28.

Production crew
Executive producers for the first two seasons were – in addition to Marc Cherry – Tom Spezialy and Michael Edelstein. Spezialy, who also served as a staff writer for the show, left his previous position as writer and executive producer for Dead Like Me to join the Desperate Housewives crew. He had also worked as writer and co-executive producer on several shows, among them Ed, Jack and Jill, and Parker Lewis Can't Lose, while Edelstein had been the executive producer of Threat Matrix and Hope & Faith.
Second season conflicts arose among the executive producers. As a result, Edelstein left the show mid-season, and at the end of the season, so did Spezialy.[10] For the third year, Cherry was joined by award winning writer and producer Joe Keenan, of Frasier fame, and telefilm producer George W. Perkins, who had been on the Desperate Housewives crew since the show’s conception.
Although receiving praise for his work on the show, Keenan chose to leave Desperate Housewives after one season to pursue other projects.[11] Replacing him as second-in-command to Cherry and executive producer for the fourth season of the show was Bob Daily, who had joined the crew as a writer and co-executive producer during the third season. Daily’s previous work include writing for the cartoon series Rugrats as well as for Frasier. Also joining Cherry, Perkins and Daily for the fourth season were John Pardee and Joey Murphy, who had been with the series since the beginning.[12] Both had also worked on Cherry’s previous show The Crew in 1995, as well as on the sitcom Cybill.
Larry Shaw and David Grossman have, as of the first four seasons, been the most prominent directors, together directing more than half of the series’ episodes.

Filming
Main articles: Wisteria Lane and Colonial Street
Desperate Housewives is filmed on Panavision 35 mm cameras; it is broadcast in standard and 16:9 widescreen high definition, though it is framed for the 4:3 aspect ratio.[13] The set for Wisteria Lane, consisting mainly of facades but also of some proper houses, is located on the Universal Studios Hollywood back lot. It is referred to by film crews as Colonial Street, and has been used for several motion pictures and television shows since the mid 1940s.[14] Productions to have been filmed here includes, among others, So Goes My Love, Leave it to Beaver, The 'Burbs, Providence, Deep Impact, Bedtime for Bonzo, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Gremlins, The Munsters, Psycho, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Ladykillers and Ghost Whisperer.[15]
For the second season of Desperate Housewives the street went through some heavy changes. Among the most noticeable of these changes was the removal of a church facade and a mansion in order to make room for Edie’s house and a park.[16][17]

Opening sequence
The initial idea for the show opening sequence was Cherry’s own, and after having asked sixteen companies to come up with suggestions how to best realize it, the producers finally hired Hollywood-based yU+co to provide the final version.[18] According to the yU+co’s official website, the idea behind the sequence is “to evoke the show's quirky spirit and playful flaunting of women’s traditional role in society”.[19] The images featured are taken from eight pieces of art, portraying domesticity and male-female relations through the ages.[20]
The first image shows Lucas Cranach the Elder’s painting Adam and Eve. A snake passes an apple to Eve before another, larger, apple, with the words ‘Desperate Housewives’ written on it, falls on Adam. Then follows the tomb paintings of Queen Nefertari of Egypt, the Great Royal Wife of Ramesses the Great. An animation of Queen Nefertari is seen standing within her tomb being overwhelmed by what appear to be countless children surrounding her. Next appearing is The Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van Eyck painted in 1434 – Giovanni Arnolfini is seen eating a banana and throwing the skin on the floor, leaving it for his wife to sweep it away.
The painting American Gothic by Grant Wood from 1930 then follows, and the farmer is shown smiling as he is touched on the chin by a pin up as his apparently disapproving wife frowns in front of a tin of canned sardines. The can appears on a kitchen work surface when the World War II poster Am I Proud! is shown, depicting a woman holding cans and jars including Andy Warhol’s Campbell's Soup Cans. The soup can then falls into the hand of a man featured in pop art work by Robert Dale, Couple Arguing and Romantic Couple. After the woman in this pictures is seen crying and giving her male companion a black eye, the image folds away, and the tree from Cranach’s painting reappears with the snake wrapped around it and the four main characters Bree, Lynette, Susan and Gabrielle appearing under the tree, each catching an apple.
The music for the openings is composed by Danny Elfman, and has been awarded both an Emmy Award and the BMI TV Music Award.[21] In 2005 it was included on the album Music from and Inspired by Desperate Housewives.
When an episode is running too long, only the first sequence (the falling apple) is kept. From "Now You Know" and onwards, only the main chorus of the theme is heard, which is the falling apple scene, and the photograph of the four lead actresses, crediting Marc Cherry as creator.

Music
Main article: List of music featured on Desperate Housewives
In addition to the theme composed by Danny Elfman, the series underscore music composed by Steve Jablonsky defines the overall sound of the show. The much imitated music creates a musical counterpoint to the writing style and co-exists with the scenes as one of the most identifiable musical styles in television today. The score is electronic based, but every scoring session incorporates a live string ensemble that add a certain intangible warmth to the score. Jablonsky incorporates recurring themes for events and characters into the score. He has been shaping the musical palette for the show since the 2nd episode of the first season.[22]
Hollywood Records produced the first soundtrack album, Music from and Inspired by Desperate Housewives distributed by Universal Records, featuring music inspired by the series. Several of those songs have since been used in subsequent seasons.
Housewives's unique style combined with the heavy dialogue and quick-fire writing style limit the amount of popular music used in the series. The series' music supervisor, David Sibley works closely with the producers to seamlessly integrate these musical needs into the show. In addition to featured performances by central characters such as Susan Mayer singing along with Rose Royce's "Car Wash" to jog Mike's memory and Lynette's memorable rendition of "Boogie Shoes" atop a bar, several characters have been accomplished musicians, such as Betty Applewhite (a concert pianist) and Dylan Mayfair (a prodigy cellist), all requiring carefully planned training of the actors and preparation of the music. The often eclectic approach to music has created many water cooler moments in the show, among them, Orson's ex-wife Alma singing along with Cole Porter's period recording of "Let's Misbehave" as she drugs him in order to conceive his child and George, the town pharmacist singing "Don't Give Up On Us" on Bree's front lawn as she takes pot shots at him with a shotgun.

Promotion videos
The first season actually featured two promotional videos, one featuring the song "Que Sera" by Pink Martini, was a Channel 4 promo showing the women on each of their lawns going about their unusual lives. The second featuring the song "Come on Closer" by Jem showing the housewives in a department store with the tag "Everyone has a little dirty laundry." [23]
The second season promotion took on the theme of “Temptations”, and the video featured the song "Juicy" by Better than Ezra. The housewives were all shown in separate scenes, all of which featured red apples.[24][25] M6 which broadcasts the show in France and TV Azteca which broadcasts the show in México used this promo in a different editing.[26] Channel 4 in the UK had a very limited promotion in the 7 days leading up to the January 18, 2006 start which featured new footage.
The promotion video for the third season, which had the theme of “Right now”, featured the leading characters in a computer generated garden, surrounded by white sheets. The song was a cover of "You Really Got Me", with no artist credited.[27][28] The promotion video for the UK which had began airing on December 15, 2006 for a January 3, 2007 start, featured 45 seconds of clips which featured some cliffhangers from season 2 and some new material from season 3. The music in the background music was classical. As of this season the promotions became weekly and unlike in other countries, for the first 10 episodes each episode had a little 30 second preview of what was to come the next week. This returned at the end of the season 4 premiere Now You Know.
The video for season four was released in late August 2007 and had the women in different 50s-era setups, all shocked at the arrival of a black car on Wisteria Lane. The tag line was “It’s a hell of a day in the neighborhood”, and it featured the Jennifer Lopez song "Mile in these Shoes", taken from her 2007 album Brave. [29] A cutdown version of this promo aired on RTE Two in Ireland. In the UK the theme was again was a 45 second long clip that featured the season 3 cliffhanger and unlike last time, most of the footage was new, and the majority of the new footage was taken from "Now You Know". The music again was classical. The advertisements had began on March 13, 2008 and the show returned on March 26, 2008- a total of almost 11 weeks later than normal for starting. Like Season Three the 30 second sneak preview returned, and is likely to remain for the first 15 episodes as a result of being months behind the USA instead of weeks. The reason as to why episode 16 is not giving a preview of episode 17 is because they are serving in the UK as a 2 part season finale on November 25, 2008 also.
The first video promo for the beginning of season five was released on Sunday, July 13, 2008, and showed scenes from the previous season.[30].
Season 5 Promo shows the 6 lead women in red dresses, on the remake of Fever by Madonna. The video is a montage where each of the actresses, mostly in close-up, alternately display emotions, dance and are flirtatious with the camera. We then see rolling apples and each actress takes a bite of one. A high heeled foot crushes an apple and after a last flash of Eva Longoria Parker, we see the tagline "Even juicier". Then all 6 ladies are walking towards camera, as in the previous videos. It then cuts to Desperate Housewives in front of an apple and some branches with leaves.

The future
On February 20, 2007, Variety Magazine revealed that Marc Cherry and the ABC Studios had signed “an eight-figure overall pact”, ensuring Cherry’s commitment to the show until May 2011, the end of the series’ projected seventh season. In addition, the studio has negotiated deals with “all key members of the cast” to stay on the show until then. While Cherry said that he would like the show to come to an end at that point, ABC Studio’s Mark Pedowitz stated that “We'll cross that bridge when we come to it”.[31]
Marc Cherry also said that it will be probable that the story will return back to the time when Mary Alice was alive, and this is supposed to be in the seventh season (last season).[32]
The series was renewed for a fifth season on February 11, 2008.[33]
As shown in the last minutes of the second half of the two-hour season four finale, season five takes place five years into the future. Due to the time jump, several actors do not return to the show. The child actors won't return (i.e. the Scavo children), as for the teen actors, only one may not return, Lyndsy Fonseca (Dylan).Shawn Pyfrom (Andrew) stays on the show, and as shown in the time jump, he is now Bree's assistant[34]. Although Joy Lauren (Danielle) and Andrea Bowen (Julie) are not staying on the show, they will make guest appearances, Joy Lauren (Danielle), made her first guest appearance in a form of a flashback in the 1st episode of Season 5, "You're Gonna Love Tomorrow", her second guest appearance, not in a form of a flashback, was in the 3rd episode of Season 5, "Kids Ain't Like Everybody Else", while Andrea Bowen (Julie), will make her first guest appearance in the 8th episode of Season 5, "City on Fire".[35]. James Denton, who plays Mike, told People magazine that he will definitely be returning in season 5. However, "Mike and Susan have definitely split up".[36] Nicollette Sheridan, who plays Edie, returns in season five, and brings with her a new husband, played by Neal McDonough, who is joining the cast of Desperate Housewives as a series regular.[37][38]

Writers' strike
Desperate Housewives was affected by the Writers Guild of America strike. The week of November 9, 2007, the cast and crew suspended filming due to the writers’ strikes. On November 30, 2007, what was believed to be the fourth season’s fate was announced. The December 2 episode would be the last until the writers’ strike was resolved.[39] When both parts of the two-parter were already filmed, part one was to be a cliffhanger until the writers strike was resolved and production began again. ABC was looking to have part two be the mid-season première once the strike was over and additional episodes were filmed. Marc Cherry called this his cruellest act to date to both viewers and to Desperate Housewives.[39]
That position was changed when ABC announced that part two would not be held until the writers strike ended and production resumed. ABC reversed the decision fearing a loss of viewers. As a result of the reversal, part two aired on Sunday, January 6, 2008.[40] Writers went back to work Tuesday, February 12, 2008. The show resumed production on Monday, February 25, 2008 with a return airdate of April 13.[41] ABC said 7 additional episodes to season 4 would be produced (starting with episode 11). Brenda Strong also stated in an interview that the season would have 7 additional episodes; some storylines were cut altogether and they will take place some time after the storm.[42]

Series synopses
See also: List of Desperate Housewives episodes
Season one began its original airing on October 3, 2004 and introduces the four central characters of the show: Susan Mayer, Lynette Scavo, Bree Van de Kamp and Gabrielle Solis, and their families and neighbors on Wisteria Lane. The main mystery of the season is the unexpected suicide of Mary Alice Young, and the involvement of her husband and teenage son in the events leading up to it. While Bree tries to save her marriage, Lynette struggles to find time and energy to cope with her children, Susan fights with Edie Britt for new neighbor Mike Delfino’s affection, and Gabrielle tries to prevent her husband Carlos from discovering her affair with their underage gardener.
The second season began airing on September 25, 2005 and its central mystery is that of new neighbor Betty Applewhite, who moved in in the middle of the night. Throughout the season, Bree tries to cope with being a widow, unknowingly begins dating the man who poisoned her husband, fights alcoholism, and is unable to prevent the gap between her and her son to keep growing to extremes. Susan’s love life gets even more complicated as her ex-husband gets engaged to Edie, who has been promoted to the role of fifth lead, Lynette goes back to her career in advertising and eventually becomes her husband’s boss, and Gabrielle decides to be faithful to her husband, and begins preparations to have a child.
In season three, which began airing on September 24, 2006, Bree marries Orson Hodge, whose past and involvement with a recently discovered dead body becomes the main mystery for half of the season. Meanwhile, Lynette has to adjust to having another child around the house as a previously unknown daughter of her husband arrives, and the Scavos experience tension as Tom, Lynette's husband, wants to start a pizzeria. Gabrielle goes through a rough divorce, but finally finds new love in Fairview’s new mayor. Edie sees her chance to make her move on Mike, who’s suffering from amnesia, and Susan moves onto a handsome Englishman whose wife is in a coma. Edie’s family relations are explored throughout the season.
The fourth season began airing on September 30, 2007,[43] and its main mystery revolves around new neighbor Katherine Mayfair and her family, who returns to Wisteria Lane after twelve years away, whose daughter remembers nothing about living on Wisteria Lane. Also, Lynette battles cancer; the newlywed – but unhappy – Gabrielle starts an affair with her ex-husband Carlos; Susan and Mike enjoy life as a married couple and learn that they are expecting a child; Bree fakes a pregnancy and plans to raise her teenage daughter’s illegitimate child as her own; and Edie schemes to hold on to her new love, Carlos. A gay couple from Chicago – Lee (Kevin Rahm) and Bob (Tuc Watkins) – become residents of Wisteria Lane when they move into the house formerly occupied by Betty Applewhite (Alfre Woodard), and Gloria and Alma Hodge.
The fifth season began airing on September 28, 2008, with the time period jumping five years ahead of the previous season, with some flashbacks to events which happened between the two periods. One of the first mysteries revolves around Edie Britt's new man, Dave Williams, played by Neal McDonough. Dave is looking for revenage on someone on Wisteria Lane.

Cast and characters
See also: List of Desperate Housewives cast members and List of Desperate Housewives characters
During its premiere season the show featured thirteen starring actors, all credited in the opening sequence. For the show’s second year, several actors, mainly child and teenage ones, who had guest starred during the first season, were promoted to series regulars without having their names included in the opening sequence. Instead they were billed as “also starring” during the first minutes of each episode, together with episode guest stars. This practice continued for season three and four.
The thirteen starring actors for season one included four leading actresses: Teri Hatcher as Susan Mayer, a divorced mother with a sense for humor for drama and in search of love, Felicity Huffman as Lynette Scavo a former businesswoman turned stressed out stay-at-home mother of four, Marcia Cross as Bree Van de Kamp the seemingly perfect mother struggling to save her marriage, and Eva Longoria Parker as Gabrielle Solis, an ex-model whose unhappy marriage has had her beginning an affair with her 17-year-old gardener. Furthermore, Nicollette Sheridan plays Edie Britt, Susan’s arch rival, described by her as “the neighborhood slut”, who since then slowly had grown to become somewhat of a fifth lead. Steven Culp played Rex Van de Kamp, Bree’s frustrated husband with secret sexual desires, while Ricardo Antonio Chavira portrayed Gabrielle’s spouse Carlos Solis, a rough business man who regarded his wife mainly as a trophy, and James Denton acted as Mike Delfino, the mysterious new neighbor who becomes Susan’s love interest. Brenda Strong portrayed the show’s narrator Mary Alice Young, who generally doesn’t appear in front of the camera, and whose unexpected suicide in the first episode remained a mystery throughout season one. Mark Moses played Paul Young, Mary Alice’s widower, who went to extremes not to have the reason for his wife’s suicide revealed, and Cody Kasch acted as Zach Young, the troubled teenage son of Paul and Mary Alice, who eventually turned out to be Mike’s biological son. Finally, Andrea Bowen took the part of Susan’s caring and kind-hearted teenage daughter Julie Mayer, and Jesse Metcalfe played John Rowland, Gabrielle’s teenage gardener/lover.
For the second season, Culp and Metcalfe left as show regulars, as Rex had died from a heart attack and Gabrielle had ended her relationship with John. Several actors who had appeared as guest stars during the entire run of the first season were promoted to regulars for the second year, including Doug Savant as Tom Scavo, Lynette’s husband who for the second season quit his job determined to become a stay-at-home dad, Brent Kinsman, Shane Kinsman and Zane Huett as Preston, Porter and Parker Scavo, Lynette’s and Tom’s rascal boys, Shawn Pyfrom as Bree’s complicated gay son Andrew Van de Kamp, and Joy Lauren as Danielle Van de Kamp, Andrew’s hardheaded sister. Alfre Woodard and Mehcad Brooks joined the cast as Betty Applewhite and her son Matthew, who moved to the street in the middle of the night in order for the neighbors not to discover that they had Betty’s other son Caleb – originally played by Page Kennedy but soon replaced by NaShawn Kearse – locked up in the basement. Also joining the main cast for the second season, after guest starring in a few season one episodes, were Richard Burgi as Karl Mayer, Susan's ex-husband who becomes engaged to Edie, and Roger Bart as George Williams, Bree's pharmacist, and later obsessed fiancée, who had caused Rex's death. Bart, however left the show mid- season, due to the suicide of George.
As the Applewhite mystery was solved in the second season finale, Woodard, Brooks and Kearse all had left the show when the third season begun. As had Mark Moses, as Paul was framed for murder and incarcerated, Cody Kasch, due to Zach's becoming a millionaire after causing his ill biological grandfather to die and thereby inheriting his entire fortune, and Richard Burgi, following Karl being dumped by both Susan and Edie. Two additions were made to the main cast for season three: Kyle MacLachlan as Orson Hodge, who marries Bree and whose dark family history serves as the main mystery for most of the season, and Josh Henderson, playing Edie's bad boy nephew Austin McCann, who starts a relationship with Julie, but ends up getting Danielle pregnant and left the series mid-season.
For the fourth season, after having appeared as a guest star during season three, Rachel Fox was added to the main cast playing Kayla Huntington, Tom's daughter from a previous "one night stand". Also joining the main cast were Dana Delany and Lyndsy Fonseca as Katherine and Dylan Mayfair, a mother and teenage daughter who lived on Wisteria Lane twelve years earlier but had left the street. Dana Delany's character is married to Dr. Adam Mayfair played by Nathan Fillion. Joining the cast in the fourth episode were Kevin Rahm and Tuc Watkins as a gay couple, Lee McDermott and Bob Hunter, who move in next door to Susan. Actor Gary Cole joined the cast as a recurring character in the eleventh episode and played the ex-husband of Katherine Mayfair, Dana Delany's character.[44]
Neal McDonough joined the cast of Desperate Housewives as a series regular in season 5. He is the new husband of Nicollette Sheridan's character, Edie Britt.[38] Max and Charlie Carver have been cast as Porter and Preston Scavo, Joshua Moore as Parker Scavo and Kendall Applegate as Penny Scavo.[45] Gail O'Grady has also been confirmed to join the show as a recurring character.[46] Peter Onorati has been confirmed to join the show as a recurring character.[47]
The show also features a large number of recurring guest stars, the most prominent being Kathryn Joosten and Pat Crawford Brown as elderly neighbors Karen McCluskey and Ida Greenberg. Others include Dougray Scott as Ian Hainsworth, Susan's season three love interest; Harriet Sansom Harris as Felicia Tilman, in search for her sister’s murderer during the first two seasons; Ryan Carnes as Justin, Andrew's boyfriend during season one and two; John Slattery as Victor Lang, former mayor of Fairview and Gabrielle's husband; and Bob Gunton as Noah Taylor, the wealthy father of Mike's deceased fiancé and the biological grandfather of Zach, appearing during the first two seasons.

Casting
Eva Longoria Parker was the first reported to have landed a starring role, on February 9, 2004,[48] followed by Felicity Huffman (February 10),[49] Teri Hatcher (February 18),[50] James Denton and Ricardo Antonio Chavira (February 26),[51] Marcia Cross (March 1),[52] Sheryl Lee, Mark Moses, and Cody Kasch (March 3),[53] Andrea Bowen and Kyle Searles (March 4),[54] and Michael Reilly Burke (March 8).[55] On May 18, 2004 ABC announced their 2004–2005 lineup, with Desperate Housewives as one of its new shows, starring an ensemble cast of these twelve names.[56]
On July 2, after having shot the first pilot, ABC announced that Lee, Searles and Burke were to be replaced by Brenda Strong, Jesse Metcalfe and Steven Culp, respectively.[57] While Lee was turned down after producers rethought the character of Mary Alice,[58] Searles was replaced because of the lack of chemistry between him and his onscreen lover, Eva Longoria.[59] Steven Culp had been the producer's first choice for the part as Rex Van De Kamp, but as he had missed a meeting with the ABC executive to complete shooting for another television show, Star Trek: Enterprise, the part had been offered to Burke instead. After the original pilot was filmed, Culp was off the Enterprise cast, and when asked again Culp accepted the part, and Burke was let go.[60]
Early reports also had different names for some of the characters: Andrea Bowen’s character, who was originally said to be named Jenna,[54] ended up being named Julie when the show begun to air, and Mary Alice’s last name, which had originally been reported to be Scott,[57] had been changed to Young.
On August 11, with less than two months left until the series’ premiere, a thirteenth name was announced to have been added to the list of contracted stars: Nicollette Sheridan, who would portray Edie Britt in a role originally conceived to be recurring. Nicollette originally auditioned for the part of Bree Van de Kamp.[61] Regarding Nicollette Sheridan's departure during season 4, Marc Cherry replied that she is "gone and won’t be back for a few years."[62] However, this was clearly a hint at the time leap as Dana Delany has confirmed she will be back.[63][37]
During the second year of the show the recasting of the new character Caleb Applewhite caused some media interest. Original actor Page Kennedy was taken off the cast after only five episodes aired. According to ABC, this was due to Kennedy’s “improper conduct”, with National Enquirer claiming that he had flashed some of his female co-stars. Kennedy was quickly replaced by NaShawn Kearse, but denied any improper actions from his part, even releasing a rap song, “Hold On”, telling his version of the story.[64]

Reception and cultural influences
In the fall season 2004 Desperate Housewives premiered to massive numbers, rave reviews and an extreme amount of brand new fanatics, in its second year ratings rose more than 5 million and stayed at this ground breaking level throughout its 3rd and 4th seasons and are expected to get even higher in its new season.

The premiere year
The show was the biggest success of the 2004–2005 television season, being well-received by both critics and viewers. The pilot episode had 21.3 million viewers making it the best new drama for the year, the highest rated show of the week, and the best performance by a pilot for ABC, since Spin City in 1996.[69]
Along with Lost, Desperate Housewives was credited to have turned around ABC’s declining fortunes.[70] Many critics agreed with Cherry’s initial comparison to the popular black comedy film American Beauty,[71] while its themes and appeal to female viewers were compared to those of the award winning TV show Sex and the City,[72] and its mysteries were said to resemble those of David Lynch’s classic TV series Twin Peaks.[73] In its first review, USA Today proclaimed the show to be “refreshingly original, bracingly adult and thoroughly delightful” and naming it to be “sort of Knots Landing meets The Golden Girls by way of Twin Peaks”.[74]
Following the initial success of the show, the term "desperate housewives" became a cultural phenomenon. This warranted "real life desperate housewives" features in TV shows, including The Dr. Phil Show,[75] and in magazines.[76][77] Among the more prominent names to declare themselves fans of the show were Oprah Winfrey,[78] who also dedicated an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show to her visit at the film set; and the First Lady of the United States, Laura Bush, who, in a speech during a dinner with White House Correspondents' Association on April 30, 2005, stated "Ladies and gentlemen, I am a desperate housewife", referring to the show.[79]
The show ended up being the fourth most watched in the United States during the 2004-2005 season, with 23.7 million viewers each week.[80] The first season finale was watched by 30.62 million American viewers.[81]

Later years
For its second year, the show still maintained its ratings – with 22.2 million viewers, it reclaimed its position as the number four most watched show.[82] However, several critics started to notice a declining quality of the show’s script,[83][84] and USA Today’s Robert Bianco suggested that the part of the show getting “less good” was that showrunner Cherry had left much of the series writing in the hands of others.[85] Mid through the season executive producer Michael Edenstein left the show due to conflicts with Cherry and in May 2006, just a couple of weeks prior to the second season finale, so did Tom Spezialy.[10] After the end of the season Cherry would agree to the second years’s weaker script and also agreed that it had been a mistake to let go too much of the show. He now stated that he was back full time, claiming that both he and the writing staff had learned from their mistakes.[86][87][88]
The critics generally agreed on the improved quality for the third year,[89][90][91] but the overall ratings fell notably from previous seasons. Due to complications from her pregnancy Marcia Cross was put on permanent bed rest. After filming one episode from her own personal bedroom she was forced to take maternity leave with six episodes of season three still remaining. It was predicted that the ratings would be down by over 25% since the premiere year.[92] However, for the last season three episodes, the rating turned somewhat, and the season ended up with 17.5 million viewers, falling from number four to number ten on the list of most watched shows.[93] Notable, however, was that the show’s rating among viewers age 18–24 increased from the previous season.[94]
For its fourth season, the series proved to have staying power[95]. The series averaged 18.2 million viewers. Ratings peaked in Episode 9 where 20.6 million viewers tuned in to see the heavily marketed tornado episode hit Wisteria Lane. The show has once again moved back up into the top 5 highest rated programs so far in the 2007-2008 season, being the #1 ABC drama and beating popular medical drama Grey's Anatomy for the first time in 2 years.[96]. It also became for the first time the #1 scripted show, beating CSI[97].
In 2006, the American cable network Bravo launched a reality show, The Real Housewives of Orange County, in the footsteps of the “real life desperate housewives” phenomenon.[98]
According to a survey of twenty countries conducted in 2006 by Informa Telecoms and Media, Desperate Housewives was the third most viewed TV show in the world, after fellow American series CSI: Miami and Lost.[99] During a fund raising auction for the British child charity ChildLine in December 2006, a walk-on part in Desperate Housewives had the highest bid, £17.000, beating Daniel Craig’s James Bond tuxedo from Casino Royale.[100][101]

Awards and nominations
Main article: List of Desperate Housewives awards and nominations
For its premiere season, the show was awarded six Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. The nominations of all of the four leading actresses except Eva Longoria Parker for both Golden Globes and Emmys received some media interest. While Longoria Parker seemingly didn’t bother, stating for the press that “I'm new. I just arrived. I didn’t expect at all to be in the minds of the Academy.”, Marc Cherry regarded her being left out as a “horrendous error”.[102] In the end, the Emmy went to Felicity Huffman, while Teri Hatcher received the Golden Globe, as well as a Screen Actors Guild award.
The show’s second Golden Globe Award for its first year was for Best Musical or Comedy TV Series, while the other Emmys went to Kathryn Joosten for her guest role as Karen McCluskey (beating, among others, fellow cast member Lupe Ontiveros), Charles McDougall for his direction of the pilot episode, Danny Elfman’s theme music, the picture editing of the pilot, and the casting of the series. The entire cast was awarded a Screen Actors Guild Award, and Nicollette Sheridan was nominated for a Supporting Actress Golden Globe.
In 2006 the show continued to receive several nominations. It was awarded with yet another Golden Globe for Best TV Musical or Comedy Series, and all the four leading women received Golden Globe nominations, although none of them won. The cast ensemble was awarded with another SAG Award, as was Felicity Huffman. Emmys nominations included, among others, guest actress Shirley Knight and supporting actress Alfre Woodard, although none of the resulted in an actual award.
The show did continue to be nominated in 2007 – Felicity Huffman was granted an Emmy nomination for the second time, and guest actresses Laurie Metcalf and Dixie Carter also received Emmy nominations. The show, along with actresses Marcia Cross and Felicity Huffman, received Golden Globe nominations, and Huffman and the cast ensemble were also nominated for SAGs. None of the Golden Globe, Emmy or SAG nominations resulted in any actual awards.
2008 yielded the least nominations with none at the Golden Globes and only the cast being nominated at the SAGs. The show was nominated for four Emmys, including acting nods towards Polly Bergen and Kathryn Joosten for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. Joosten won the show's seventh Emmy and first since its debut year.
Other notable awards include the 2005 People's Choice Award for Favorite New Television Drama, the Future Classic Award at the 2005 TV Land Awards, the 2006 TP de Oro for Best Foreign Series, and the Golden Nymph at the 2007 Monte-Carlo TV Festival, among others.[103]

Criticism
Following criticism from the American Family Association about what they perceived to be a disregard for traditional family values.[104]

Screen adaptations
On February 26, 2007, The Walt Disney Company announced that four South American versions of the show were about to begin production: one for Argentina, one for Colombia, one for Brazil and one for Ecuador.[105] Later on, the Colombian and Ecuadorean productions merged, leaving three Latin American shows:
The Argentine version, called Amas de Casa Desesperadas, began airing in 2006. The first year proved successful enough for a second season to begin production.[106] The first season of the version for Colombia (RCN TV) and Ecuador (Teleamazonas), also entitled Amas de Casa Desesperadas, began airing in Ecuador on May 2007, and airs five days a week.[107] The Brazilian version, Donas de Casa Desesperadas began airing on RedeTV! in August 2007.[108]
In addition, a second US version is being developed for the Spanish television network Univision. Just as the two previous Spanish versions, it is to be named Amas de Casa Desesperadas, and the production began in July 2007.[109]

Games
In 2005, UK company Re:creation published Desperate Housewives Dirty Laundry Game, a board game based on season one of Desperate Housewives.[112] Players attempt to guess their opponents’ secrets by answering trivia questions, while keeping clues to their own secrets concealed.
2006 saw the release of two video games: Buena Vista Games released the sim computer game Desperate Housewives: The Game, featuring an original storyline spanning 12 episodes.[113] The game is set on Wisteria Lane, but the player does not play as any of the housewives, although they frequently appear.
A couple of months later, Gameloft released a mobile game based on the series.[114] “The inspirado for Gameloft’s take on Desperate Housewives comes from the most unlikely place, too – the original Mario Party on the Nintendo 64.”[115]

Soundtrack and literature
In September 2005, Hollywood Records released a CD (distributed by Universal Music), Music from and Inspired by Desperate Housewives, featuring music inspired by the series, as well as sound clips taken from the first season of the show. The songs included have been described as promoting “girl power”, and among the artists appearing – all being female – were LeAnn Rimes, Gloria Estefan and Shania Twain.[116] Controversially, no originally composed music from the show is included on the CD.
Two books has been officially released within the Desperate Housewives franchise. In September 2005 ABC’s sister company Hyperion Books released Desperate Housewives: Behind Closed Doors (ISBN 978-1401-3082-61), a companion to the first season of the show, written by the production team behind the series.[117] One year later, in October 2006, Hyperion published The Desperate Housewives Cookbook – Juicy Dishes and Saucy Bits (ISBN 978-1401-3027-71).[118] In addition, official wall calendars, featuring shots taken from the series, were published by Andrews McMeel Publishing for 2006, 2007 and 2008.[119]
Four unauthorized books written from different points of view were released in 2006. Delicious Housewives, A Novel of Erotica, by International best-selling author Tamarias Tyree (ISBN 978-0930865795), from RSVP Press, is an erotic parody of the popular TV series featuring the housewives' sexual misadventures which eventually lead them to an appearance on the Jerry Springer Show... Reading ‘Desperate Housewives’: Beyond the White Picket Fence (ISBN 978-1845-1122-02), from I.B. Tauris, is an academic look at the show by film studies lecturers Janet McCabe and Kim Akassm,[120] Welcome to Wisteria Lane: On America’s Favorite Desperate Housewives (ISBN 978-1932-1007-92), published by BenBella Books, consists of seventeen essays written from a feminist perspective,[121] and in Chalice Press’ Not-so-desperate: Fantasy, Fact And Faith on Wisteria Lane (ISBN 0-8272-2513-X) author Shawnthea Monroe is giving a Christian interpretation of the show.[122] Also, following the “real life desperate housewives” phenomenon, several books have been released dealing with life strategies for contemporary women.

Fashion dolls
In December 2006 it was announced that the characters of Bree, Gabrielle, Edie, Susan and Lynette were to be made into 16 inches (410 mm) tall fashion dolls, produced by Madame Alexander.[123] In 2007 they were released in a limited edition of 300 pieces each. [124] A perfume was also released, named Forbidden Fruit

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