The sixth season of ''

Desperate Housewives ''Desperate Housewives'' is an American comedy-drama soap opera television series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Marc Cherry, Cherry Productions. It aired for eight seasons on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from Octobe ...

'', a television series created by Marc Cherry, began airing on September 27, 2009, and concluded on May 16, 2010. The season consists of 23 episodes. The deceased Mary Alice Young continues to narrate the events in the lives of her friends and

Wisteria Lane Wisteria Lane is the name of a fictional street at the center of U.S. television drama series ''Desperate Housewives''. ''Desperate Housewives'' storylines primarily center on the residents of the street. The set for Wisteria Lane is located insid ...

residents,

Susan Delfino Susan Delfino is a fictional character played by Teri Hatcher on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television series ''Desperate Housewives''. The character was created by television producer and screenwriter Marc Cherry. She first appeared ...

, Lynette Scavo, Bree Hodge,

Gabrielle Solis Gabrielle "Gaby" Solis () is a fictional character portrayed by Eva Longoria on the ABC television series ''Desperate Housewives''. Longoria was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy for her ...

and Katherine Mayfair. Angie Bolen and her family are the focus of this season's mystery. The sixth season of ''Desperate Housewives'' began on

RTÉ Two (RTÉ) (; Irish for "Radio & Television of Ireland") is the national broadcaster of Ireland headquartered in Dublin. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on television, radio and online. The radio service began on 1 January 1926, while ...

in the

Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. A ...

on Tuesday, January 5, 2010. The sixth season also started airing at 10:00pm on

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...

in the United Kingdom on January 27, 2010, as well as on the

Seven Network The Seven Network (commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is a major Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, and is one of ...

in Australia on February 1, 2010. It started airing at 9:00pm on February 1, 2010, on OSN's ''Show Series'' in the Middle East. It also started airing in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

Star World Star World (formerly known as Star Plus) is an English language entertainment television channel originally launched on 15 December 1991 as Star Entertainment () by STAR TV in Hong Kong as the old iteration of Star Plus. On 30 March 1996, the ...

from February 26, 2010, at 10pm. In

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, Season 6 began airing in the translated version on April 1, 2010 on Canal +. The series saw lower ratings in the sixth season. In the first 12 episodes, the series attracted very similar viewership to the second half of the fifth season; however, the ratings declined heavily after the thirteenth episode, "

How About a Friendly Shrink? "How About a Friendly Shrink?" is the thirteenth episode of the sixth season of the American comedy-drama series, ''Desperate Housewives'', and the 124th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on ABC in the United States on January 17 ...

", due to the competition with the

67th Golden Globe Awards The 67th Golden Globe Awards was telecasted live from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California on Sunday, January 17, 2010 by NBC, from 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM (PST) and 8:00 PM – 11:00 PM (EST) (1:00 – 4:00; Monday, January 18 UTC). ...

. The series continued to lower numbers, with further competitions like the

2010 Grammy Awards The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2009. Neil Young was honored as the 2010 MusiCares Pe ...

2010 Winter Olympics )'' , nations = 82 , athletes = 2,626 , events = 86 in 7 sports (15 disciplines) , opening = February 12, 2010 , closing = February 28, 2010 , opened_by = Governor General Michaëlle Jean , cauldron = Catriona Le May DoanNancy GreeneWayne Gretz ...

, and the new CBS reality series '' Undercover Boss'', which first aired after the Super Bowl XLIV, pulling impressive ratings. ''Desperate Housewives'' lost much steam in the second half of its season, picking up some again in the final three episodes. Nonetheless, the show got a spot in the twenty most watched series in the 2009–2010 television season, at number twenty, averaging 12.82 million viewers (tenth, in scripted shows). When adding DVR figures, the show ranked at thirteenth place (seventh, among scripted shows) with 14.13 million viewers. The sixth season ranked fourteenth in the important, advertiser-coveted 18–49 age group, with a 4.2 rating, sixth highest with scripted shows. After including DVR playback (Live+7 days), the season average number increased to a 5.0 rating, placing eighth, in terms of scripted shows.

Production

The first episode of the sixth season, " Nice is Different Than Good", began airing on September 27, 2009. The series creator, Marc Cherry, told Entertainment Weekly that the bride's initial identity was to be Katherine and that Susan was the one who was going to have a nervous breakdown, until viewers informed him that they would rather see Susan and Mike reconcile. Cherry explained: "I originally was going to have Mike marry Katherine, but as I went out into the world on vacation and just started talking to people they were so determined that Mike and Susan should get together; they were so insistent on it. So I started to think, 'What if I went that way?' And it occurred to me that it might be a more effective way to go as opposed to frustrating the fans for another year by keeping Mike and Susan apart. The fans demanded it in a voice so loud I was kind of scared to go against them". Cherry also hinted that the couple's marriage "plays better for this season's mystery". Cherry also said that Katherine will suffer a breakdown, adding: "And it's going to be one of the funniest breakdowns you've ever seen". Marc Cherry revealed that the sixth season mystery will pay homage to a classic ''

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

'' storyline. He added: "What we've planned is an interesting mystery storyline involving one of our beloved characters. It's a 'Who shot J.R.?' kind of storyline. For the mid-season cliffhanger, Marc Cherry has revealed that there will be a plane crash in season six of ''Desperate Housewives''. The show's creator explained that the story is still in the planning stages and added that he does not yet know who will be involved in the accident. "It's going to be my cliffhanger for the first half of the season," he said, adding that it would "affect everyone's lives". However, Cherry said that none of the main characters will be killed in the crash. "I'd love to kill somebody 'cause that's just what I do," he joked. "But the truth is, right now I don't have anyone major dying."

Cast

The sixth season had twelve roles receiving

star billing Billing is a performing arts term used in referring to the order and other aspects of how credits are presented for plays, films, television, or other creative works. Information given in billing usually consists of the companies, actors, directo ...

, with ten out of thirteen returning from the previous season. The series is narrated by Brenda Strong, who portrays the deceased Mary Alice Young, as she observes from beyond the grave the lives of the

residents and her former best friends.

Teri Hatcher Teri Lynn Hatcher (born December 8, 1964) is an American actress best known for her portrayals of Lois Lane on the television series '' Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'' (1993–1997); Paris Carver in the ''James Bond'' film ''Tomor ...

portrayed

Susan Mayer Susan Delfino is a fictional character played by Teri Hatcher on the ABC television series '' Desperate Housewives''. The character was created by television producer and screenwriter Marc Cherry. She first appeared in the pilot episode of the ...

, who is married to Mike again.

Felicity Huffman Felicity Kendall Huffman (born December 9, 1962) is an American actress. Huffman began her acting career in theatre, and in the 1990s also had many supporting roles in film and television. She starred as Dana Whitaker in the comedy-drama '' Spor ...

portrayed Lynette Scavo, who is trying to conceal her pregnancy in order to keep her job.

Marcia Cross Marcia Anne Cross (born March 25, 1962) is an American actress. She acted in daytime soap operas such as ''The Edge of Night'', '' Another World'', and ''One Life to Live'' before moving to primetime television with a recurring role on ''Knots ...

portrayed Bree Hodge, who is having an affair with her divorce lawyer.

Eva Longoria Eva Jacqueline Longoria Bastón ( Longoria; March 15, 1975) is an American actress, producer, and director. After a number of guest roles on several television series, she was recognized for her portrayal of Isabella Braña on the CBS daytime ...

portrayed

, who now deals with her teenage niece. Ricardo Antonio Chavira portrayed Carlos Solis, Gabrielle's husband and Lynette's new boss.

Doug Savant Douglas Peter Savant (born June 21, 1964) is an American actor, known for his roles as Matt Fielding in the Fox prime time soap opera '' Melrose Place'' (1992–97), Tom Scavo in ABC comedy-drama '' Desperate Housewives'' (2004–12), and as Sgt. ...

portrayed Tom Scavo, Lynette's husband who returns to college.

Kyle MacLachlan Kyle Merritt MacLachlan (; ' McLachlan, February 22, 1959) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Dale Cooper in ''Twin Peaks'' (1990–1991; 2017) and its film prequel '' Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me'' (1992), as well as roles ...

portrayed

Orson Hodge Orson Hodge is a fictional character on the ABC television series ''Desperate Housewives''. The character is played by Kyle MacLachlan. Orson is introduced in the final episodes of the second season of the series, and becomes the main mystery of ...

, who suffers a terrible accident while trying to save his marriage to Bree.

Dana Delaney Dana Welles Delany (born March 13, 1956) is an American actress. After appearing in small roles early in her career, Delany received her breakthrough role as Colleen McMurphy on the ABC television drama ''China Beach'' (1988–1991), for which s ...

portrayed Katherine Mayfair, who endures a mental breakdown after Mike leaves her to remarry Susan. James Denton portrayed Mike Delfino, Susan's husband who deals with his ex-girlfriend and with a financial crisis. New additions to the main cast included

Drea de Matteo Andrea Donna de Matteo is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Adriana La Cerva on the HBO television drama ''The Sopranos'' (1999–2006), for which she received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a ...

playing Angie Bolen, whose mysterious arc is the season's main storyline, and

Maiara Walsh Maiara Kylior Walsh (born February 18, 1988) is an American actress and singer. She played Ana Solis on the sixth season of the ABC show ''Desperate Housewives'', Meena Paroom on the Disney Channel sitcom ''Cory in the House'' and Simone Sinclair ...

in the role of

Ana Solis '' Desperate Housewives'' is an American comedy-drama series that aired on ABC (American Broadcasting Company). It focuses on the residents living on the fictional Wisteria Lane as narrated by their deceased neighbor, Mary Alice Young (Brenda Str ...

, Carlos's rebellious niece who moved to Wisteria Lane in the fifth season finale.

Shawn Pyfrom Shawn Caminiti Pyfrom (born August 16, 1986) is an American actor and singer, who has appeared in several television series and films, and is best known for his portrayal of Andrew Van de Kamp on American Broadcasting Company, ABC's ''Desperate Ho ...

did not return as a regular; he instead made guest appearances as

Andrew Van de Kamp Andrew Van de Kamp is a fictional character in the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television series ''Desperate Housewives'' played by Shawn Pyfrom, and is the son of one of the title characters, Bree Van de Kamp, and her first husband Rex Va ...

, Bree's gay son. The "also starring" cast had many changes. Andrea Bowen re-joined the cast as Julie Mayer, Susan's daughter and victim of the Fairview strangler. Long-time supporting actress

Kathryn Joosten Kathryn Joosten (born Kathryn Rausch; December 20, 1939 – June 2, 2012) was an American actress. Her best known roles include Dolores Landingham on NBC's ''The West Wing'' from 1999 to 2002 and Karen McCluskey on ABC's '' Desperate Housewives'' ...

was promoted to also starring as elderly neighbor

Karen McCluskey Karen McCluskey (née Simonds) is a fictional character from the ABC television series '' Desperate Housewives''. The role was played by Kathryn Joosten, who won the Primetime Emmy Award twice for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series in ...

. Jeffrey Nordling and Beau Mirchoff appeared as Nick and Danny Bolen, respectively Angie's husband and son.Andreeva, Nellie (July 10, 2009)
"'Desperate' books Nordling, Mirchoff"
. ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

''. Retrieved July 12, 2010.

Charlie Carver Charles Carver Martensen (born July 31, 1988) is an American actor and screenwriter. His best known roles include Porter Scavo on the ABC television series '' Desperate Housewives'', Ethan on the MTV television series ''Teen Wolf'', Scott Fros ...

( Porter Scavo), Joshua Logan Moore (

Parker Scavo ''Desperate Housewives'' is an American comedy-drama series that aired on ABC (American Broadcasting Company). It focuses on the residents living on the fictional Wisteria Lane as narrated by their deceased neighbor, Mary Alice Young (Brenda Stro ...

) and Kendall Applegate (

Penny Scavo ''Desperate Housewives'' is an American comedy-drama series that aired on ABC (American Broadcasting Company). It focuses on the residents living on the fictional Wisteria Lane as narrated by their deceased neighbor, Mary Alice Young (Brenda Stro ...

) all remained, while

Max Carver Max Carver (born Robert Maxwell Martensen Jr; August 1, 1988) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Preston Scavo in the ABC television series ''Desperate Housewives'', as Aiden on the MTV teen-horror drama ''Teen Wolf'', and in the ...

left the also starring cast, as his character Preston Scavo has left for Europe, but made guest appearances in the season. Additionally, child actors

Madison De La Garza Madison Lee De La Garza (born December 28, 2001) is an American actress. De La Garza is known for playing Juanita Solis on ''Desperate Housewives''. She is the younger half-sister of singer Demi Lovato. Early life and family Madison Lee De La G ...

( Juanita Solis) and

Mason Vale Cotton Mason Vale Cotton is an American actor known for his roles as M.J. Delfino in the ABC soap opera ''Desperate Housewives'' (20082012) and as Bobby Draper in the AMC drama series ''Mad Men'' (20122015), the latter of which earned him a nominatio ...

(

M.J. Delfino ''Desperate Housewives'' is an American comedy-drama series that aired on ABC (American Broadcasting Company). It focuses on the residents living on the fictional Wisteria Lane as narrated by their deceased neighbor, Mary Alice Young (Brenda Stro ...

) were promoted from co-stars to also starring. This season featured many established and new guest stars. Tuc Watkins and Kevin Rahm respectively played Bob Hunter and Lee McDermott, a gay couple and residents of Wisteria Lane. Part of Bree's storyline were Richard Burgi portraying

Karl Mayer Karl Mayer is a fictional character portrayed by Richard Burgi and created by television producer and screenwriter Marc Cherry for the ABC television series ''Desperate Housewives''. He is the ex-husband of housewife Susan Mayer (Teri Hatcher) an ...

, Susan's ex-husband and Bree's divorce lawyer and new lover, Dakin Matthews returning as Reverend Sykes, reverend at the local Presbyterian church,

Samuel Page Samuel Page (born Samuel L. Elliott; November 5, 1976) is an American actor. He has appeared on popular television shows, such as ''All My Children'', ''Mad Men'', ''Desperate Housewives'', ''House of Cards'', '' Switched at Birth'', ''Scandal, U ...

appearing as Sam Allen, Rex's son conceived before he meets Bree, and

Joy Lauren Joy Lauren Jorgensen (born ) is an American producer, director and writer and former actress. She is known for playing Danielle Van de Kamp on the ABC comedy-drama series '' Desperate Housewives''. Life and career Lauren was born Lauren Joy Jo ...

in the role of Danielle Katz, Bree's daughter. Part of Gabrielle's storyline were Daniella Baltodano playing Celia Solis, Gabrielle's youngest daughter, Jesse Metcalfe returning as John Rowland, Gabrielle's ex-lover and former gardener, Jeff Doucette portraying Father Crowley, priest at the local Catholic church, and John Rubinstein appearing as Principal Hobson, headmaster at Juanita and M.J.'s school. Part of Lynette's storyline were

Helena Mattsson Helena Mattsson is a Swedish-American actress living and working in Hollywood. Life and career Mattsson was born and raised in Stockholm, Sweden. She began acting at a young age, performing in plays, musicals and concerts. She studied acting a ...

in the role of Irina Korsakov, Preston's Russian fiancée, and

Brent Kinsman Brent Kinsman and Shane Kinsman (born November 13, 1997) are American twin child actors who typically portray rambunctious twins, most notably, as Kyle and Nigel Baker in the 2003 film ''Cheaper by the Dozen (2003 film), Cheaper by the Dozen'' a ...

Shane Kinsman Brent Kinsman and Shane Kinsman (born November 13, 1997) are American twin child actors who typically portray rambunctious twins, most notably, as Kyle and Nigel Baker in the 2003 film ''Cheaper by the Dozen (2003 film), Cheaper by the Dozen'' a ...

and

Zane Huett Zane Alexander James Huett (born May 9, 1997) is an American actor. Zane is most famous for his featured role on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television series ''Desperate Housewives'' playing the role of Parker Scavo, the younger son ...

returning as the younger versions of Preston, Porter and Parker Scavo in flashbacks. Part of Katherine's storyline were Lyndsy Fonseca who returned for one episode in the role of

Dylan Mayfair ''Desperate Housewives'' is an American comedy-drama series that aired on ABC (American Broadcasting Company). It focuses on the residents living on the fictional Wisteria Lane as narrated by their deceased neighbor, Mary Alice Young (Brenda Stro ...

, Katherine's daughter, and Julie Benz portraying Robin Gallagher, a stripper and Katherine's new love interest. Part of the main mystery arc were John Barrowman appearing as

Patrick Logan Captain Patrick Logan (1791 – October 1830) was the commandant of the Moreton Bay Penal Settlement from 1826 until his death in 1830 at the hands of Aboriginal Australians who objected to him entering their lands. As he had been hated by con ...

, an eco-terrorist and Danny's biological father, Julie McNiven playing Emily Portsmith, a barrista at a local cafe and acquaintance of Nick, and

Ellen Crawford Ellen Ann Crawford (born April 29, 1951) is an American actress. She is known for her role as Nurse Lydia Wright on '' ER'' from 1994 through 2003 and then again in 2009 for the series finale. Crawford has also performed on stage, in ''A Touch ...

portraying Iris Beckley, a neighbor of Angie's mother that informs Patrick of the Bolens' whereabouts. Orson Bean was introduced in the role of Roy Bender, Mrs. McCluskey's new boyfriend. Josh Zuckerman appeared as Eddie Orlofsky, the infamous Fairview strangler. Maria Cominis played Mona Clarke, a Wisteria Lane resident who blackmails Angie when she discovers her secret. Mindy Sterling portrayed

Mitzi Kinsky '' Desperate Housewives'' is an American comedy-drama series that aired on ABC (American Broadcasting Company). It focuses on the residents living on the fictional Wisteria Lane as narrated by their deceased neighbor, Mary Alice Young (Brenda Str ...

, a new neighbor in Wisteria Lane. Furthermore, Mark Moses returned in the season finale as Paul Young, Mary Alice's widower.Exclusive: A "Desperate Housewives" Baddie Returns!
''Entertainment Weekly'', May 6, 2010

Episodes

International ratings

Detailed international schedules and ratings

United States (ABC)

Republic of Ireland (RTÉ 2)

* ''Desperate Housewives'' airs Tuesdays at 9:55pm on ''RTÉ 2'' in Ireland. * All ratings below are supplied from the ''RTÉ Guide'' TV guide. The ratings are supplied by ''TAM Ireland/Nielsen TAM''. * ''Season 6'' averaged 451,000 viewers when the average was calculated after the season finale.

India (Star World)

United Kingdom (Channel 4)

New Zealand (TV2)

All sourced from
Throng Ratings
The season averaged 431,975 viewers. * For episode 134, original airing only / original including prime-time repeat special before beginning of new season on January 7, 2011.

DVD release

References

External links

* {{Desperate Housewives episodes 2009 American television seasons 2010 American television seasons Eco-terrorism in fiction