At the ABC portion of the TCA press tour, ABC Entertainment Group President Paul Lee spoke about the decision to end one of the network’s top shows, Desperate Housewives. He said, “It is an iconic show. We are so proud of it. I just wanted to make sure that this show that put this network on the map — certainly the new brand of this network for the last six or seven years — had its victory lap, had a chance to really set out every episode and build an arc [in its final season].”

Series creator Marc Cherry added, “I’m [aware] of people overstaying their welcome. I just didn’t want that to happen to Desperate Housewives. I wanted to go out while the network still saw us as a viable show, while we were still doing well in the ratings… I wanted to go out in kind of the classiest way possible. We felt from a creative standpoint that this was the right time. I feel so good about it.”

Despite the fact that there were earlier plans to run the show for nine seasons, Cherry says that he won’t have to artificially shorten any storylines. He noted, “If we were to do a ninth, I have no idea what that was going to be.” He hinted that the show will be coming full circle as the death of Mary Alice will be revisited in some way.

He also shared that he doesn’t have any plans to spin-off any of the characters into a new series though he once joked to Eva Longoria, “I just want to put you in van and have you solve mysteries” — ala Scooby-Doo. Cherry noted that he considered a spin-off series but then decided that he’d rather do something different and new.

On breaking the news to his performers, Cherry reported, “I’ve spoken to over half of them… It was bittersweet and lovely, because the women knew there was the possibility. They said some very lovely things to me about how I’ve changed their lives and careers. I truly, truly love every one of them. [They] fill me up with such emotion inside; I love my cast.”

The upcoming season will be the first without Cherry serving as executive producer. He stepped down to work on other projects and is understandably sentimental about Desperate Housewives coming to an end. Cherry said, “I think the only thing harder than creating a great show is knowing when to end it… It’s something that’s weighed on my mind for quite a while now.”

What do you think? Would you be interested in a Housewives spin-off or should the characters just go away?