Comedy Abounds On Wisteria Lane

"Desperate Housewives" writer and consulting producer Jeff Greenstein (Friends, Will & Grace) has explained in an exclusive interview to The Futon Critic why ABC's hit drama is abound with comedy in year three.

When Marc Cherry and the new writing team behind "Desperate Housewives" put together their ideas for the third season, they made a decision to move the show in a more comedic direction, making sure it returned to that unique blend of comedy and drama that made it a hit in its early days of season 1. The writers also decided to flash forward six months in order to clear out the old storylines faster and concentrate on new twists and turns.

The decisions were made following strong backlash from both viewers and critics during the show's sophomore year; a year plagued with a poorly executed mystery and wasting of talent of Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actress Alfre Woodard.


The poker scenes and the iced tea sessions returned as the core characters became more entangled in a new central mystery and their lives intertwined. Although it may be a challenge to come up with a compelling mystery in each new season, the writers have successfully created a story that looks and feels different from what they had done in the past. And the viewers have given them the much-needed bode of confidence as they rewarded the show with stronger ratings.


Season to date, the drama ranks #2 on the Nielsen chart overall, and in the past five weeks it topped the chart four times, closing in on last year's breakout hit "Grey's Anatomy".

Return to the TELEVISIONISTA.Net homepage

Check out our Holiday TV Guide

Read more about DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES:
'Desperate' Christmas Strikes Nielsen Gold
VIDEO: Felicity Huffman on Ellen
Housewives at Cate Adair Handbag Launch
ABC Was Scared Of 'Pedophile' Storyline