Desperate Housewivesremains one of the most iconic — and provocative — TV dramas of the 2000s, and according toJames Denton, the show’s boundary-pushing moments weren’t always easy to stomach… even for the cast. Speaking to Collider’sMaggie Lovitton a panel atFanX’s Tampa Bay Comic Convention alongside hisGood Witchco-starCatherine Bell, Denton reflected on how creatorMarc Cherryand thewriting team often dancedon the line between satire and discomfort — sometimes going full throttle into material that might not be greenlit today. What do you mean, you don’t think people would chain their own children up inside their own homes, or help their sons cover up a hit and run?
“Yes, yes, it was,” Denton said when asked if theshow was ahead of its time. “And there were some cringingly uncomfortable [moments] for the actors, but the show knew what they were doing. It wasn’t out of apathy or coldness or lack of concern.”
Which ‘Desperate Housewives’ Storylines Were Controversial?
Well, which onesweren’t?Denton pointed to twoparticularly unforgettable storylines. “For example, whenAlfre Woodardwas on the show, and she had her son chained up in the basement, I read the script. I thought,that’swhat we’re going to do,” Denton recalled, still sounding a bit stunned. “And then there was a scene whereEva Longoria’s character Gabrielle made her daughter Juanita run behind the car to school because she thought she was overweight — and wouldn’t let her in the car.”
“Those kinds of things kind of make you — yeah, I don’t know if you would even [do that now]… It’s groundbreaking, but at the same time, it could be very offensive. Even though, you know, the Alfre Woodard thing was very separate, and with her, there’s gravitas, but yes,there were times where us actors kind of cringedand go, ‘Well, all right, we’ll see how this goes.’”
Despite those moments, Denton emphasized that the creative team always had an intention behind the shock. “The show knew what it was doing,” he said.“It made people uncomfortable, but that was the point sometimes.”
Desperate Housewivesran for eight seasons on ABC and remains a lightning rod for both praise and criticism — but as Denton sees it, that’s exactly what made it last. Plans are currentlyafoot for a rebooted version of the series, but whether it crosses the line or plays it safe will remain to be seen. For now, the original series can be seen on Hulu.
Desperate Housewives
