When Desperate Housewives first aired in 2004 it broke all records for written comedy in years. Viewer tuned in to see this complex yet soapy view of everyday suburbia. And really, the appeal in Desperate Housewives is the fact that you know that behind every colorful facade and plastered smile lies a secret, sometimes little and juicy, other times tragic and dangerous.
There is something in the setting of this show. Everything is colorful, perfect and dreamy. But things in the lives of Susan, Bree, Lynette and Gabrielle start to unravel when the, seemingly perfect life of their friend Mary Alice Young ends tragically. After her suicide all that is left are dark secrets. The facade of perfect suburbia starts to crumble.
Clues are: a mysterious baby blanket of a child never seen before, a disturbed son who starts to remember shocking details from his past, a dangerous husband ready to do everything to cover up a dark secret, a spy on Wisteria Lane, a tape from Mary Alice's therapist, a threatening note and so much more.
Each episode gives hints and clues to the main mystery that spreads throughout the season and ends in a shocking cliffhanger filled finale. But the mystery is a backdrop to the real appeal of the series: the lives of our Desperate Housewives. Each one desperate to lead a perfect life and devastated when she realizes that it cannot be achieved. From the picture perfect Bree whose marriage starts to fall down, Lynette with her never ending job of being a perfect mom to her 4 children, Gabrielle who has everything yet feels a hole in her life to Susan who struggles to find love.
Each episode moves at high speed, so much is going on. It never gets boring. This is the perfect guilty pleasure and so much more. Marc Cherry, the creator, has planned every plot line from the beginning and it really shows. Everything is perfectly plotted and comes nicely together in the end. The comedy walks a fine line between dark humor and slapstick (Susan especially) with some great Zingers.
Buena Vista Home Entertainment has put together a great 6-Disc Set. All 23 Episodes of the 1st Season are presented in a crisp clear 16:9 widescreen transfer. The colors really pop out from the screen and add a lot to the overall tone of the show.
Extras include:
- Audiocomentaries from the Housewives on selected Scenes (which can be viewed as a half hour featurette)
- Audiocomentaries are provided for 5 Episodes including the pilot and the finale. They are all interesting. Creator Marc Cherry provides great insight into the show.
- Behind the Scenes of Desperate Housewives - a 25 minute Featurette about the creation of the show and the first season
- 3 Featurettes on the Costumes and Art Design (10 min.), DH Phenomenon around the world (10 min), Production Secrets (11 min.)
- Oprah Winfrey visits Wisteria Lane (8 min.)
- Outtakes
- Deleted Scenes (with optional commentary by Marc Cherry)
- Easter Egg (on Disc 4 i think)
Some of the Episodes are Extended and run about 45 min in length (as opposed to the usual 42 min.) adding bits and pieces to the storylines. These extended episodes include intros by Marc Cherry.
As you can see there is much to see and experiance in the first Season of Desperate Housewives. It's TV gone very right and a pleasure for everybody. I highly recommend it.
5/5 Stars.
There is something in the setting of this show. Everything is colorful, perfect and dreamy. But things in the lives of Susan, Bree, Lynette and Gabrielle start to unravel when the, seemingly perfect life of their friend Mary Alice Young ends tragically. After her suicide all that is left are dark secrets. The facade of perfect suburbia starts to crumble.
Clues are: a mysterious baby blanket of a child never seen before, a disturbed son who starts to remember shocking details from his past, a dangerous husband ready to do everything to cover up a dark secret, a spy on Wisteria Lane, a tape from Mary Alice's therapist, a threatening note and so much more.
Each episode gives hints and clues to the main mystery that spreads throughout the season and ends in a shocking cliffhanger filled finale. But the mystery is a backdrop to the real appeal of the series: the lives of our Desperate Housewives. Each one desperate to lead a perfect life and devastated when she realizes that it cannot be achieved. From the picture perfect Bree whose marriage starts to fall down, Lynette with her never ending job of being a perfect mom to her 4 children, Gabrielle who has everything yet feels a hole in her life to Susan who struggles to find love.
Each episode moves at high speed, so much is going on. It never gets boring. This is the perfect guilty pleasure and so much more. Marc Cherry, the creator, has planned every plot line from the beginning and it really shows. Everything is perfectly plotted and comes nicely together in the end. The comedy walks a fine line between dark humor and slapstick (Susan especially) with some great Zingers.
Buena Vista Home Entertainment has put together a great 6-Disc Set. All 23 Episodes of the 1st Season are presented in a crisp clear 16:9 widescreen transfer. The colors really pop out from the screen and add a lot to the overall tone of the show.
Extras include:
- Audiocomentaries from the Housewives on selected Scenes (which can be viewed as a half hour featurette)
- Audiocomentaries are provided for 5 Episodes including the pilot and the finale. They are all interesting. Creator Marc Cherry provides great insight into the show.
- Behind the Scenes of Desperate Housewives - a 25 minute Featurette about the creation of the show and the first season
- 3 Featurettes on the Costumes and Art Design (10 min.), DH Phenomenon around the world (10 min), Production Secrets (11 min.)
- Oprah Winfrey visits Wisteria Lane (8 min.)
- Outtakes
- Deleted Scenes (with optional commentary by Marc Cherry)
- Easter Egg (on Disc 4 i think)
Some of the Episodes are Extended and run about 45 min in length (as opposed to the usual 42 min.) adding bits and pieces to the storylines. These extended episodes include intros by Marc Cherry.
As you can see there is much to see and experiance in the first Season of Desperate Housewives. It's TV gone very right and a pleasure for everybody. I highly recommend it.
5/5 Stars.
