Hi, my dear friends!
I haven't written anything about cinema for a couple of weeks. To be honest, I had a difficult period and I ... just reviewed old films and series. Should I write about them? But then I thought, why not? I think that each of us has films or series that we review again and again. I usually do this when I am having difficulties in life or I am too tired to take in new information. Psychologically, this behavior is explained by the fact that when we review films that we have already seen, we already know how everything will end, and this gives our psyche the opportunity to gain a sense of confidence and control.
This time I chose the series Desperate Housewives as a psychotherapeutic tool. It makes no sense to invent a description on your own, so the quote follows, and below I will share my own thoughts and impressions.
Desperate Housewives is an American comedy-drama mystery 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 total of 180 episodes. Executive producer Marc Cherry served as showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season included Bob Daily, George W. Perkins, John Pardee, Joey Murphy, David Grossman, and Larry Shaw.
Set on Wisteria Lane, a street in the fictional town of Fairview in the fictional Eagle State, Desperate Housewives follows the lives of a group of women as seen through the eyes of their friend and neighbor who took her life by suicide in the pilot episode. The storyline covers fifteen years of the women's lives over eight seasons, set between the years 2004–2008, and later 2013–2018 (the storyline includes a five-year jump in time, as well as flashbacks and flashforwards ranging from the 1980s to the 2020s). They work through domestic struggles and family life, while facing the secrets, crimes, and mysteries hidden behind the doors of their—on the surface—beautiful and seemingly perfect suburban neighborhood.
The series features an ensemble cast, headed by Teri Hatcher as Susan Mayer, Felicity Huffman as Lynette Scavo, Marcia Cross as Bree Van de Kamp, and Eva Longoria as Gabrielle Solis. The supporting cast included Nicollette Sheridan as Edie Britt, Dana Delany as Katherine Mayfair, and Vanessa Williams as Renee Perry. Brenda Strong narrates the series as the late Mary Alice Young, appearing sporadically in flashbacks or dream sequences.
Desperate Housewives was well received by viewers and critics alike, receiving many accolades. It won multiple Primetime Emmy, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards. From the 2004–05 through the 2008–09 television seasons, its first five seasons were rated amongst the top ten most-watched series. In 2007, it was reported to be the most popular show in its demographic worldwide, with an audience of approximately 120 million and was also reported as the third-most-watched television series in a study of ratings in twenty countries. In 2012, it remained the most-watched comedy series internationally based on data from Eurodata TV Worldwide, which measured ratings across five continents; it has held this position since 2006. Moreover, it was the third-highest revenue-earning series for 2010, with $2.74 million per half an hour. The show was ranked at number fifty-six on Entertainment Weekly's "New TV Classics" list.
In August 2011, it was confirmed that the eighth season of Desperate Housewives would be the show's last; the series finale aired on May 13, 2012. By the end of the series, it had surpassed Charmed with the most episodes in an hour-long television series featuring all female leads.
I have to say that I'm not a big fan of women's shows. Usually I prefer detectives, mysticism or horror films. But in this case, I must pay tribute to the creators of this show, which allows not only to watch the plot, but also to plunge into the peculiarities of life and relationships between people in another country. This is probably not so obvious to the American audience, but being on the other side of the ocean, I watched with great interest the details of everyday life shown in the film.
The second interesting moment for me is the heroines of the show themselves. I don't know if this is the intention of the authors, but it seems to me that each of them vividly represents some of the female archetypes. In any case, there is such an accent in each of the female characters…
Both female and male characters are very ambiguous, which makes them very realistic. The positive is intertwined with the negative, they do good and bad things, make mistakes and try (or don't try) to fix it. This makes them very lifelike.
Indeed, we are all ambiguous and life is very complicated. In it there is not only black and white, but also a lot of other shades. No wonder they say that everyone has their own truth. The truth is, well, it's probably somewhere in between.
There are features of the organization of life that are very interesting and unusual. For example, how the entrance of children to school is organized. It's not like that for us at all. There are many more such moments in the series that will be of interest to a non-American audience.
And one more point that attracts me personally is the opportunity to spy on interior and garden ideas. It may seem a little strange, but it's true. How everything is arranged in houses, how plants are used to decorate the approaches to the house. For me personally, all this is a source of inspiration and I always get a boost of energy to act and improve something in my house or garden. Well, what can I say ... Everyone has their own oddities. But in the end, if it's all positive, then who cares?
In general, if you ask me whether it is worth watching the series Desperate Housewives, I will no doubt answer positively. You will get a beautiful picture with a lot of interesting details, a fairly dynamic plot and a great opportunity to escape from everyday life.
I understand you I also have a long list of movies and series that balance my emotions and thoughts, giving me that feeling of stability you are talking about.
I haven't had the chance to watch this series but from what you describe it sounds interesting to add you to my list of things to watch.
I hope you’ll like it)
I never heard of this series, although this is because I'm not one to watch them, I'm not much of a series watcher. I like that touch of mystery and comedy, I am also a fan of watching movies and series that I have already seen, as long as they are good because otherwise they are discarded from my repertoire.
To be honest, I don’t watch TV shows as much as I listen when, for example, I draw) But there are exceptions when I’m not so much interested in the plot as in the interiors or outfits of the characters.
I like (very much) your personal touch. The way you have somatized your emotions and what you have done to channel it in this production. In that sense, you are authentic and that is something I value, recognize and admire, deeply, @torem-di-torem