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The fourth 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 Cherry Productions. It aired for eight seasons on ABC from October 3, 2004, until May 13, 2012, for a t ...
'', an American television series created by
Marc Cherry Marc Cherry (born March 23, 1962) is an American television writer and producer. He is best known for creating the ABC dramedy series ''Desperate Housewives''. Personal life Early life Marc Cherry was born in Long Beach and lived briefly in ...
, premiered on September 30, 2007 on ABC. Filming for the series was interrupted by the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike in November 2007, after production on the two-episode tornado storyline wrapped. The first part, " Something's Coming", aired on December 2, 2007. "
Welcome to Kanagawa The fourth season of '' Desperate Housewives'', an American television series created by Marc Cherry, premiered on September 30, 2007 on ABC. Filming for the series was interrupted by the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike in November 20 ...
", the second part and the last episode filmed before the strike, was originally going to be aired after the strike's resolution, but aired on January 6, 2008. Seven additional episodes were produced for the fourth season after the strike, the first of which aired on April 13, 2008. The final two episodes served as a two-part finale and were aired consecutively on May 18, 2008. A total of 17 episodes aired as part of the season, with one recap special airing on September 23, 2007. The series continues to focus on
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 insi ...
residents
Susan Delfino 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 ...
,
Lynette Scavo Lynette Scavo is a fictional character on the series ''Desperate Housewives''. The character is played by actress Felicity Huffman, who won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for the role in 2005, and was nominated for ...
,
Bree Hodge Bree Van de Kamp is a fictional character on the ABC television series ''Desperate Housewives''. She is played by actress Marcia Cross, who has received multiple awards and nominations for her portrayal, including an Emmy Award nomination, t ...
,
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 ...
and
Edie Britt Edie Britt is a fictional character created by television producer and screenwriter Marc Cherry for the ABC television series ''Desperate Housewives''. Nicollette Sheridan portrayed Edie from her debut in the pilot episode of the series until t ...
, with
Mary Alice Young Mary Alice Young (previously Angela Forrest) is a fictional character from the ABC television series '' Desperate Housewives''. The character was created by television producer and screenwriter Marc Cherry and is portrayed by Brenda Strong, who ...
returning as the series' narrator.
Katherine Mayfair Katherine Irma Mayfair is a fictional character created by Marc Cherry for the ABC television series ''Desperate Housewives''. The character was portrayed by Dana Delany and first appeared in the series' fourth season premiere on September 30, ...
and her family are introduced in this season and are the center of the season's mystery. Critical reception for the season was positive, and ratings increased from the third season. The series drew in an average of 17.9 million viewers per episode during the 2007-08 American television season, becoming the sixth most-watched program of the year and the most-watched scripted program for the first time. The series was released on a five-disc DVD box set by
ABC Studios ABC Signature is an American television production studio that is a subsidiary of Disney Television Studios, a division of Walt Disney Television, which is part of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Company. ...
on September 2, 2008 in Region 1, October 29, 2008 in Region 4, November 3, 2008 in Region 2, and March 17, 2009 in Region 5.


Production

Joe Keenan, one of the three
executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights ...
s during the third season, as well as writer of the critically acclaimed season episode "
Bang Bang or bangs may refer to: Products * M1922 Bang rifle, a US semi-automatic rifle designed by Søren Hansen Bang * Bang, a model car brand * Bang (beverage), an energy drink Geography * Bang, Lorestan, a village in Iran * Bangs, Ohio, Unite ...
", did not return for season four as executive producer, but as consulting producer. Replacing Keenan, and joining
Marc Cherry Marc Cherry (born March 23, 1962) is an American television writer and producer. He is best known for creating the ABC dramedy series ''Desperate Housewives''. Personal life Early life Marc Cherry was born in Long Beach and lived briefly in ...
and George W. Perkins as executive producers, is season three writer and co-executive producer
Bob Daily Bob Daily is an American television producer and screenwriter. Career Beginning as a writer for the 1990s Nickelodeon cartoon ''Rugrats'', Daily joined the crew of the sitcom ''Frasier'' in 1999. In total he wrote or co-wrote fifteen episode ...
, whose previous work include sitcoms ''
Frasier ''Frasier'' () is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for 11 seasons. It premiered on September 16, 1993, and ended on May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee (as Grub ...
'' and '' Out of Practice'', as well as cartoon series ''
Rugrats ''Rugrats'' is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain for Nickelodeon. The show focuses on a group of toddlers; most prominently— Tommy, Chuckie, Angelica, and twins Phil and Lil, a ...
''. Keenan will serve as Cherry's second-in-command for the next two years. Also joining as executives producers are writers and former co-executive producers
John Pardee John Pardee is an American screenwriter and television producer, and was an executive producer for ''Desperate Housewives''. During the 1990s, Pardee wrote episodes of several television series, including the cartoon '' Doug''; the short-lived s ...
and
Joey Murphy Joey Murphy is an American screenwriter and television producer. Murphy has written episodes of the cartoon, '' Doug'', '' The Crew'', and Cybill Shepherd's sitcom, ''Cybill'', the last two for which he also served as producer. He also collaborat ...
who have been on the show since its first season. This is also the first season the synthesized version of
Danny Elfman Daniel Robert Elfman (born May 29, 1953) is an American film composer, singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the singer-songwriter for the new wave band Oingo Boingo in the early 1980s. Since the 1990s, Elfman has garnered internation ...
’s main title theme was used, as it would be the rest of the series.


Cast

The fourth 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, dire ...
. All eleven starring actors from the previous season returned for this season. The series is narrated by
Brenda Strong Brenda Lee Strong (born March 25, 1960) is an American actress. She began her career in television, including guest starring appearances in ''Twin Peaks'', '' Party of Five'', ''Seinfeld'', '' Scandal'', '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', '' ...
, who portrays the deceased
Mary Alice Young Mary Alice Young (previously Angela Forrest) is a fictional character from the ABC television series '' Desperate Housewives''. The character was created by television producer and screenwriter Marc Cherry and is portrayed by Brenda Strong, who ...
, as she observes from beyond the grave the lives of the
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 insi ...
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 '' Tom ...
portrayed
Susan Delfino 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 finally married after three seasons searching for a stable relationship.
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 Lynette Scavo is a fictional character on the series ''Desperate Housewives''. The character is played by actress Felicity Huffman, who won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for the role in 2005, and was nominated for ...
, who fights cancer during the first half of the season and deals with her step-daughter's behavior in the second half. Marcia Cross portrayed
Bree Hodge Bree Van de Kamp is a fictional character on the ABC television series ''Desperate Housewives''. She is played by actress Marcia Cross, who has received multiple awards and nominations for her portrayal, including an Emmy Award nomination, t ...
, married for the second time and faking pregnancy in an attempt to protect her daughter. Eva Longoria portrayed former model
Gabrielle Lang 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 ...
, now the wife of Fairview's mayor.
Nicollette Sheridan Nicollette Sheridan (born 21 November 1963) is an English-born American actress. She began her career as a fashion model before landing a role in the short-lived ABC primetime soap opera '' Paper Dolls'' in 1984, as well as starring in the rom ...
portrayed
Edie Britt Edie Britt is a fictional character created by television producer and screenwriter Marc Cherry for the ABC television series ''Desperate Housewives''. Nicollette Sheridan portrayed Edie from her debut in the pilot episode of the series until t ...
, who faked suicide in the previous season finale. Ricardo Antonio Chavira portrayed Carlos Solis, now divorced from Gabrielle but still in love with her while involved in a relationship with Edie.
Andrea Bowen Andrea Bowen is an American actress and singer. She began her career appearing on Broadway musicals, including ''Les Misérables'' and ''The Sound of Music''. In 2004, she began playing the role of Julie Mayer on the ABC comedy-drama series ''Des ...
portrayed Julie Mayer, the responsible and caring daughter of Susan.
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. O ...
portrayed Tom Scavo, Lynette's husband and now owner of a pizzeria. Kyle MacLachlan portrayed Orson Hodge, Bree's second husband and the man that ran over Mike in the second season finale.
James Denton James Thomas Denton Jr. (born January 20, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He is best known for playing Mike Delfino on ABC's comedy-drama series ''Desperate Housewives'' (2004–2012) and Dr. Sam Radford on Hallmark Channel's come ...
portrayed Mike Delfino, now Susan's husband who starts using drugs.
Dana Delany 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 whic ...
is introduced in the role of
Katherine Mayfair Katherine Irma Mayfair is a fictional character created by Marc Cherry for the ABC television series ''Desperate Housewives''. The character was portrayed by Dana Delany and first appeared in the series' fourth season premiere on September 30, ...
, whose mysterious arc is the season's main storyline.Owen, Rob (August 17, 2007)
"Tuned In: 'Desperate' measures include adding Dana Delany to cast"
. ''
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the first newspaper published west of the Alle ...
''. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
Five out of six actors who received "also starring" billing from the previous season returned.
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 ABC's '' Desperate Housewives'', and as Lionel Grif ...
, portrayed Bree's gay son
Andrew Van de Kamp Andrew Van de Kamp is a fictional character in the 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 Van de Kamp. As one of the few ...
. Lyndsy Fonseca was cast in the new 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 S ...
, Katherine's daughter and part of the season's mystery.Small, Jonathan (August 24, 2007)
"A First Look at ''Desperate Housewives'' New Neighbors"
''
TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news. The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine LLC, in 2008. Corporat ...
''. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
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 Jor ...
reappeared in the role of
Danielle Van de Kamp '' 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 S ...
, Bree's pregnant daughter. Brent Kinsman, Shane Kinsman 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 ABC television series ''Desperate Housewives'' playing the role of Parker Scavo, the younger son of Lynette and Tom Scavo. H ...
, played
Preston Scavo ''Desperate Housewives'' is an American comedy-drama series that aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC (American Broadcasting Company). It focuses on the residents living on the fictional Wisteria Lane as narrated by their deceased neighbor ...
,
Porter 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 S ...
and
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 S ...
, Lynette's troublesome children. Rachel Fox was promoted to regular after guest starring in several episodes in the previous season as Kayla Huntington Scavo, Tom's mischievous daughter and the result of an affair he had before meeting Lynette. This season featured many established and new guest stars.
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' ...
portrayed
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 2 ...
, one of the most prominent residents of Wisteria Lane, Richard Burgi appeared as
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 ...
, Susan's ex-husband who is also married again,
Pat Crawford Brown Pat Crawford Brown (June 29, 1929July 2, 2019) was an American actress. Life and career Brown married Calvin B. Brown on January 3, 1961, and they remained married until his death in 1976. They had one daughter, Charlotte Brown Swanson. She beg ...
played elderly neighbor Ida Greenberg, whereas Tuc Watkins and Kevin Rahm made their debut in this season respectively as Bob Hunter and Lee McDermott, a gay couple from Chicago who move to the lane. Part of Lynette's storyline were
Polly Bergen Polly Bergen (born Nellie Paulina Burgin; July 14, 1930 – September 20, 2014) was an American actress, singer, television host, writer and entrepreneur. She won an Emmy Award in 1958 for her performance as Helen Morgan in '' The Helen ...
in the role of Stella Wingfield, Lynette's mother who moves to the Scavo family home to support her daughter in her battle against cancer, and
Jason Gedrick Jason Michael Gedrick (born February 7, 1965) is an American actor best known for his work on the television series '' Murder One'' and '' Boomtown'', and the motion picture '' Iron Eagle'' as Doug Masters. Early life Jason Michael Gedroic was ...
playing
Rick Coletti ''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 ...
, who had feelings for Lynette in the previous season and now opens his own restaurant to compete with the Scavo Pizzeria. Part of Bree's storyline were Shirley Knight returning as Phyllis Van de Kamp, Bree's first mother-in-law, and Dakin Matthews appearing as Reverend Sykes, reverend at the local Presbyterian church. Part of Gabrielle's storyline were
John Slattery John M. Slattery Jr. (born August 13, 1962) is an American actor and director widely known for his role as Roger Sterling Jr. in the AMC drama series ''Mad Men'' (2007–15), for which he was nominated four times for the Primetime Emmy Award fo ...
playing
Victor Lang '' 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 S ...
, Gabrielle's new husband and the mayor of Fairview, Mike Farrell in the role of Milton Lang, Victor's father,
Jeff Doucette Jeffrey Doucette (born November 25, 1947) is an American character actor. Growing up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, he was the second of eight children born to Elizabeth (Betty Andres) and William (Bill) Doucette. Jeffrey attended Marquette Universit ...
portraying Father Crowley, priest at the local Catholic church,
Justine Bateman Justine Tanya Bateman (born February 19, 1966) is an American writer, director and producer. Her former acting work includes ''Family Ties'', '' Satisfaction'', '' Men Behaving Badly'', ''The TV Set'', ''Desperate Housewives'', and '' Californ ...
playing Ellie Leonard, a drug dealer who rents a room in the Solises' house, and
Jesse Metcalfe Jesse Eden Metcalfe (born December 9, 1978) is an American actor and musician. He is known for his portrayal of John Rowland on ''Desperate Housewives''. Metcalfe has also had notable roles on ''Passions'' and played the title role in '' John T ...
reappearing as John Rowland, Gabrielle's ex-lover and former gardener. Part of the main mystery arc were
Nathan Fillion Nathan Fillion (; born March 27, 1971) is a Canadian-American actor. He played the leading roles of Captain Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds on '' Firefly'' and its film continuation '' Serenity'', and Richard Castle on '' Castle''. , he was starring as J ...
portraying
Adam Mayfair ''Desperate Housewives'' is an American comedy-drama series that aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC (American Broadcasting Company). It focuses on the residents living on the fictional Wisteria Lane as narrated by their deceased neighbor ...
, a doctor and Katherine's second husband,
Ellen Geer Ellen Ware Geer is an American actress, professor, and theatre director. Personal life Geer was born in New York City, the daughter of actors Herta Ware and Will Geer. Her father was best-known for playing Grandpa Zebulon "Zeb" Walton on ''The ...
appearing as Lillian Simms, Katherine's aunt,
Melora Walters Melora Walters (born October 21, 1959) is an American actress. She is best known for her starring roles as Wanda Henrickson in the television series ''Big Love'' and Kathy Kone in '' PEN15'', and has appeared in several Paul Thomas Anderson films. ...
playing Sylvia Greene, Adam's former patient and ex-lover from Chicago, and
Gary Cole Gary Michael Cole (born September 20, 1956) is an American television, film and voice actor. Cole began his professional acting career on stage at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company in 1985. On television, he has had starring roles in the T ...
in the role of Wayne Davis, a cop and Katherine's abusive first husband. Additionally,
Gale Harold Gale Morgan Harold III (born July 10, 1969) is an American actor, known for his leading and recurring roles on '' Queer as Folk'', '' Deadwood'', ''Desperate Housewives'', ''Grey's Anatomy'', ''The Secret Circle'' and '' Defiance''. He also starre ...
was introduced as Susan's new lover Jackson Braddock during the five-year jump featured at the end of the season. For the 14th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, Fillion, Joosten and Slattery were nominated along with the rest of the main cast for the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series award due to their many appearances this season. 14th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards Nominations.


Episodes


Reception

Season four was met with critical acclaim. Adam Geller of Rotten Tomatoes wrote "While the last two seasons of Desperate Housewives definitely suffered to live up to season one's standards (especially season two), season four improved not only from seasons two and three, but also from the critically acclaimed first. Delivering great storylines such as Bree's fake pregnancy, Lynette's cancer, Gaby's affair and even Susan's real pregnancy, season four was considered a vast improvement.


Ratings


United States


Season debuts

Note
The late season start in the United Kingdom was because of the
strike Strike may refer to: People * Strike (surname) Physical confrontation or removal *Strike (attack), attack with an inanimate object or a part of the human body intended to cause harm *Airstrike, military strike by air forces on either a suspected ...
. Channel 4 intended to begin showing season 4 in January, but it did not want to begin showing the season, only to have to take a break halfway through because of lack of episodes available. ''Desperate Housewives'' was eventually forced to take a break because of '' Big Brother 9'' in the summer. It was anticipated that ''Desperate Housewives'' would have finished by June, but this was not the case. ''Big Brother'' took up the 9 pm or 10 pm slot every day from June 5, 2008 until September 5, 2008, so there was not room for ''Desperate Housewives'' in the schedules. As there were still seven episodes left to show as of June, Channel 4 waited until ''Big Brother'' had finished to resume showing them. Episodes returned with "
Sunday Sunday is the day of the week between Saturday and Monday. In most Western countries, Sunday is a day of rest and a part of the weekend. It is often considered the first day of the week. For most observant adherents of Christianity, Sunday ...
" on Wednesday, September 3 at the earlier time of 9:30 pm between two episodes of the ''Big Brother'' day 90 eviction. As E4 is one episode ahead of Channel 4, but does not air the season premiere before the host channel, E4 did not begin airing the new season until four days later on March 30. Episodes after this were aired on E4 three days before the Channel 4 airing, with the exception of "Sunday", which was treated as a season premiere. ''Desperate Housewives'' airs very late at night on Welsh channel S4C due to Welsh-language programming airing during prime-time.


DVD release


References


External links

* * * {{Desperate Housewives episodes 2007 American television seasons 2008 American television seasons