All images: Getty
More than two decades after Desperate Housewives debuted on our screens, a spin-off titled Wisteria Lane has become the talk of the town.
Premiering in 2004, the original series ran for eight seasons, delivering over 200 episodes of scandalous, scintillating drama that captured the interest of millions around the world.
Desperate Housewives wasn’t just a soapy spin on domestic life; it was a reimagining of the traditional housewife trope that explored the complexities of womanhood in all its nuanced glory.
Its all-star cast, featuring Eva Longoria as Gabrielle Solis, Felicity Huffman as Lynette Scavo, Terri Hatcher as Susan Mayer and Marcia Cross as Bree Van de Kamp, brought intrigue to the mundane trappings of suburbia.
Murder, mystery, addiction and affairs with teenage gardeners – Desperate Housewives had it all – and then some, so it’s no surprise it led to the birth of reality television as we know it – namely the Real Housewives franchise.
Now, fresh off the (stiletto) heels of the show’s 20th anniversary, Wisteria Lane is reportedly ready to bring the fandom into a new era.
Here’s everything we know about Wisteria Lane – the Desperate Housewives spin-off set to turn suburbia on its head again.
Stream all eight seasons of Desperate Housewives now on Disney+ with a mth-to-mth no lock-in contract. Subscribe here.
Everything we know about Wisteria Lane
Whispers of a possible Desperate Housewives spin-off started floating around in November 2024. The show’s creator, Marc Cherry, sparked rumours when he told People that he’d been considering it.
“The truth of the matter is that I have a couple of ideas to do it,” he told the publication. “I would probably want to do the idea maybe in an earlier decade,” he added at the time.
“Because the character I miss writing the most is actually Wisteria Lane. That was the most fun playground anyone in the history of television has ever had, because we owned the whole street… It was such a fun place to write for. And there’s times when I go, ‘You know what? I wonder if I could write Wisteria Lane in like, 1966.'”
The comments came after one of the show’s biggest stars, Eva Longoria, admitted to Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live that she’d be up for a reboot, should the call come. “Gabby would be an influencer for sure. She’d be an Instagrammer!”
What may have started as a rumour is likely to become reality, and Wisteria Lane is hoped to be scooped up by Disney’s Onyx Collective, with Natalie Chaidez as the writer/an executive producer, and Kerry Washington as an executive producer.
What is the plot of Wisteria Lane?
It’s highly likely that Wisteria Lane will follow the lives of five “frenemies” who reside on the picturesque street. According to initial reports, the series will delve into themes similar to those of its predecessor, but with a modern twist.
“On the surface, all the Wisteria neighbours are living the dream. They have beautiful homes, gorgeous families, shiny SUVs in the driveway,” details shared by Deadline read.
“But behind those white-picket fences and smiling Insta posts are secrets.”
And if the world’s obsession with The White Lotus is anything to go by, a scandalous tale of the trappings of wealth and privilege will be as binge-worthy as ever.
When will Wisteria Lane spin-off be released in New Zealand?
Wisteria Lane is unlikely to hit our screens until 2026 at the earliest.
Where can I watch Desperate Housewives in New Zealand?
Stream all eight seasons of Desperate Housewives now on Disney+ with a mth-to-mth no lock-in contract. Subscribe here.
