Former Desperate Housewives Writer Reveals Behind-the-Scenes Drama
Remember the gripping stories from Wisteria Lane in Desperate Housewives? Well, it turns out there was just as much drama behind the scenes! Patty Lin, a writer who worked on the show, spills the beans in her new book called End Credits: How I Broke Up With Hollywood, released on August 29th.
Lin’s book shines a light on her time at ABC’s drama, where she encountered some unexpected situations. She shares that the writers didn’t often mix with the cast, except for table reads. She amusingly mentions trying to avoid eye contact with Teri Hatcher, one of the lead actresses.
Desperate Housewives, the mystery comedy-drama created by Marc Cherry in 2004, captured the hearts of fans. Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross, and Eva Longoria portrayed the captivating characters. The show premiered on October 3, 2004, and took us into the intriguing lives of the women on Wisteria Lane.
Lin recalls an interesting incident during lunch when the topic of Margaret Cho’s sitcom came up. Cherry suggested to Lin that she should create something similar. While she admired Cho, Lin humorously clarifies that being Asian women in show business doesn’t automatically make them alike.
Lin also highlights the challenges she faced while working on the show. She explains how most of the scriptwriting was managed by Cherry and his small team, leaving others to handle less significant tasks. Lin even claims Cherry once suggested the team should “gang bang” a script without the original writer’s knowledge. She lightheartedly questions how the show managed to succeed with such an unconventional process.
Eventually, Lin’s journey on Desperate Housewives came to an end after the network ordered more episodes for season 1. Despite the show’s wild success, Lin found it perplexing that their “schlock” content became a hit, even earning multiple awards and tremendous revenue.
The book also touches on Lin’s time working on other shows like Freaks & Geeks, Friends, and Breaking Bad. It offers a peek behind the curtain of Hollywood’s entertainment industry.
While Lin has shared her experiences, neither Marc Cherry nor the leading actresses have commented publicly on her revelations. Notably, when allegations were made in the past, they supported the showrunner against Nicollette Sheridan’s claims. Her lawsuit in 2010 alleging assault and battery, gender violence, and wrongful termination ended in a mistrial.
End Credits: How I Broke Up With Hollywood is out now, inviting readers to explore the inner workings of popular TV shows from a writer’s perspective.