pilot episode american mystery series premiered october abc network written series creator directed pilot introduces residents suburban neighborhood lane following suicide successful neighbor friends begin deal problems personal lives competes attention new moved street struggles failing marriage family continues affair sixteen year old life stay home mother cherry conceived idea series watching coverage murder trials fascinated women lead lives quiet desperation began writing script pitched networks following year october abc announced picked pilot casting began february filming took place following month primarily set universal_studios according nielsen ratings episode watched million viewers original american broadcast watched program week pilot received extremely positive reviews critics complimenting series diversity cast particularly leads received praise episode won awards including plot focuses lives residents fictitious street lane suburban neighborhood shocked suicide led ideal domestic life close friends cross struggle come terms news later son awakens middle night find father paul mark moses mysterious chest drained swimming pool backyard susan divorced mother takes interest recently moved lane faces competition neighbor serial suspicious mike spending night susan enters home borrowing sugar inside accidentally knocks sets fire entire house susan flees scene leaving glass measuring cup guilt susan relieved learn mike man career woman frustrated raising young children husband tom constantly away business feels family troubled husband asks divorce mistakenly putting hospital accuses emotionally unavailable obsessed achieving domestic perfection model grows increasingly unhappy marriage buys love extravagant gifts continues affair sixteen year old paul asks susan sort belongings bear box clothes women discover blackmail note reading know makes sick going tell indicates received day killed women begin wonder secret friend keeping production creation development financial situation having trouble finding job commented broke unable interview writing job seriously concerned future turned starting wonder writers hollywood convincing talented evidence points contrary watching television coverage trials mother cherry turned asked imagine desperate children mother replied cherry intrigued idea perfectly rational woman life wanted wife mother moments insanity began writing pilot episode soon cherry originally developed concept half hour comedy agent arrested cherry signed advised rewrite script soap opera cherry completed draft pilot april pitched script cbs nbc fox hbo showtime lifetime turned following script cherry pitched series abc picked pilot abc executives concerned title series cherry selected writing script suggested renaming series lane secret lives cherry insisted keeping original title later commented desperate title try indicate subtly going fun imagery interesting places critics got joke people word pushes button lose reason project officially announced october cross american beauty knots landing fellow new series grey anatomy lost later help reverse abc fortune network executives fired shortly risky expensive pilots casting casting desperate began february director reported seeing good determined women audition leads actor cast lead role landing role model auditions unknown soap opera actress time stated prior audition read entire script recounted asks think script like thing said didn read script read goes knew moment thing auditioned role cast role single mother looking love second audition abc network executives cherry commended audition calling best audition seen network television actors originally considered role include expressed interest role network executives felt right cherry offered role perfect reminiscent times rejected role similar character later join series fourth season later cast considered role auditioned cast neighborhood instead audition recalled end reading director looked said said come housewife mother leave character originally intended small role expanded cast cast frustrated stay home mother talking experiences mother audition cherry called casting lucky commenting minutes read role alleged denied role heavy role series narrator given cross originally auditioned role cast instead heather auditioned leading roles cast wealthy husband joined cast teenage having affair hired play susan teenage daughter cast susan love interest new neighbor cast paul mysterious husband troubled teenage son cast sexually dissatisfied husband pilot introduced recurring cast members appeared neighbor role originally intended asian american actress appearance tom husband away business later series regular second season promise cherry signed season debut appearances andrew defiant teenage children cherry stated casting roles difficult limited involvement episodes series additionally cast respectively preston porter tom sons filming subsequent casting changes filming pilot initially intended place actual los_angeles neighborhood production team realized difficulties instead chose street set house sets numerous film television productions early sets styles ranged contemporary victorian ranch create uniform neighborhood cherry production designer wanted street recall era convey traditional american values appear modern time viewed episodes father knows best sons leave beaver television series capture visual style classic conservative america commented trying honor sensibility time create red state blue state instead insisted street kind pink state middle america soul house sets included building interior rooms cost visually unified look street carefully designed interior home reflect tastes budgets characters according director originally hired work episode quit learning casting group decision filming took place thirteen days march filming suggested removing references pop culture script ensure pilot timeless feel abc picked series episodes june abc called starring cast members recast replaced producers wanted add sexual appeal role justify having affair previously read role initial casting process role given cherry choice unavailable original pilot filmed took role producers thought lee right strong commented casting change character explaining think conceptual shift certainly wasn wrong lee instead wanted chocolate happened chocolate scenes featuring original actors replacements present background scenes final cut episode release reception promotion viewership promote series abc issued laundry themed campaign purchased advertisement space magazines people dry cleaning bags country prompted remove commercials broadcast quickly replaced pilot premiered eastern time zone october week intended broadcast date premiere drew million viewers rating share adults years age highest debut abc series non series nbc watched debut drama series years pilot watched program week highest rating demographic women aged additionally watched program men aged united_kingdom pilot aired channel_4 january drew million viewers highest premiere drama series network years earlier critical reception pilot met extremely positive critical reception today gave series premiere stars commenting involving new drama funnier new sitcom matches high visual style witty arch sensibility highlighted performances leading actresses writing individually terrific combined irresistible feminine force praised performance noted cherry avoided making pilot san_francisco_chronicle complimented pilot diversity expressing concern american audiences tune emotional chords flip safer praised cherry writing acting declaring things love desperate review episode boston_globe commended episode stretches sharp satire soap opera tribute popmatters called series soap credited reviving soap opera genre felt disappeared suited american culture compared pilot sex city declaring potentially replace departed sex sunday ritual women gay men pleasure noted contrasting tones dynamics series stated friendships leading women opining sugar connection surviving women superficial clearly vulnerable shifting alliances acts betrayal crowd pleasing cat fights variety called pilot fun complimented cast stating provides emotional core series nearly intriguing way predicted breakout star noted little smart good expressed concern series elements washington_post praised pilot assessing visual style witty language borderline overall mad attitude series stands best new drama season best new comedy complimented cross performances writing mary alice character critic selected pilot 26th best television episode awards pilot episode won emmy awards outstanding lead actress comedy series comedy series outstanding single camera picture editing comedy series nominated comedy series won american cinema editor award work episode nominated directors guild america award directing episode
Pilot (Desperate Housewives)