Nicollette Sheridan returns to Desperate Housewives for fifth season *** 3 Stars
By Gabrielle Pantera

Desperate Housewives, Suburbia gets catty

HOLLYWOOD, CA (Hollywood Today) 9/22/2009 – Five years ago, when the first season of Desperate Housewives, it was an outrageous drama with lots of comedy. Like Dynasty, but not as glamorous, or Dallas, Knots Landing and even Melrose Place, the fighting and the friendships between the women made the show a hit.

After the first season the characters became dark and vindictive. As the series became more edgy it became less entertaining. It was losing viewers. In season five, every character goes through a massive transformation. Is this like Bobby in the shower on Dallas? Had everything that passed before not really happened after all? Has Desperate Housewives returned to what made it a hit?

The show’s subversively funny take on suburban life reveals all the juicy secrets lurking behind closed doors in this seemingly perfect community. The ladies of Wisteria Lane have scandalous secrets. Susan (Teri Hatcher), Lynette (Felicity Huffman), Bree (Marcia Cross), Gabrielle (Eva Longoria Parker), Katherine (Dana Delaney) and Edie (Nicollette Sheridan) give the residents of Fairview plenty to talk about.

Since their first season, the Desperate Housewives have experienced tragedy, had affairs, and committed crimes. The show hinges on the secrets the four women don’t tell each other. Season five offers nothing special there, despite the return of Nicollette Sheridan to the show. The drama is on par but lacks the crowning moments that some seasons achieved.

Desperate Housewives: The Complete Fifth Season includes seven discs with 24 episodes. There are two commentary tracks on the first and thirteenth episodes. The reason behind moving the series five years ahead is discussed in the commentaries. The 100th episode has a featurette. The actors and producers talk about their favorite moments and the craziness of making it to 100 episodes. There’s a cake fight between Nicolette and Eva. A table read shows how the writers decide what works and what doesn’t.

A brief featurette shows Teri Hatcher’s ability to handle physical comedy. Mark Cherry picks key episode that mean something special to him. Bloopers and deleted scenes are included. All episodes are presented in widescreen format.

Desperate Housewives has won two Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. The stars pf Desperate Housewives are: Teri Hatcher (Coraline), Felicity Huffman (Transamerica), Marcia Cross (Everwood), Eva Longoria (Over Her Dead Body), Nicollette Sheridan (Code Name: The Cleaner), James Denton(Threat Matrix), Doug Savant (24), Ricardo Antonio Chavira (Six Feet Under), Dana Delany (Kidnapped), Neal McDonough (Boomtown) and Kyle MacLachlan (In Justice).

Desperate Housewives: The Complete Fifth Season

Release date: September 1, 2009

Suggested retail price: $59.99 U.S., $79.99 Canada

Duration: 1,032 min.

Ratng: U.S. TV-14 DLSV, Canada 14A

Aspect ratio: 1.78:1

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound

Languages: English, French and Spanish subtitles