Season eight, which kicks off on September 25th, will be the first without creator Marc Cherry at the reins as executive producer. Cherry stepped down at the end of season seven to devote more time to other projects. He recently developed a drama called Hallelujah but it wasn’t picked up for the fall. He’s now rewriting the high-concept series idea about a southern town that’s being torn apart by forces of good and evil. He’s also in the middle of a battery and wrongful termination lawsuit from Nicollette Sheridan.
The four main stars of Desperate Housewives — Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross and Eva Longoria — recently went through big salary renegotiations for season eight that supposedly would bring each more than $400,000 per episode. Their new contracts included options for a ninth season but, with sagging ratings, it seems like the network doesn’t feel like it’s worth it.
Last season, Desperate Housewives averaged a 3.5 rating in the coveted 18-49 demographic and 11.17 million viewers. It was the third-highest rated scripted series on the network, right behind also-aging Grey’s Anatomy.
While the numbers for Housewives are still quite healthy, they have been declining over the years. For the 2009-10 season, the dramady averaged a 4.25 in the demo and 12.81 million, a year-to-year decline of 18% in the 18-49 age group.
What do you think? Is it time to say goodbye to Desperate Housewives or would you rather see it continue into season nine?
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