Summary
- Shows like Desperate Housewives, such as Big Little Lies and Dead to Me, offer similar elements of sex, drama, and murder, with strong female leads.
- Bridgerton and Gossip Girl provide the same scandalous and dramatic vibe as Desperate Housewives, with hidden family secrets and juicy scandals.
- Grey's Anatomy and Killing Eve may have different genres, but they feature compelling female characters and long-lasting storylines, perfect for Desperate Housewives fans.
Some shows are hard to define, but when it comes to shows like Desperate Housewives, there are many definitions. The show has it all: adultery, blackmail, shocking deaths, plot twists, and every kind of dysfunctional relationship imaginable. Fans of it loved the gorgeous style of the series and the main characters, as well as the shocking secrets in this perfect suburban world. It's no wonder that fans are always looking for shows like Desperate Housewives, and that doesn't mean reality TV shows like The Real Housewives, which came along two years later.
With Desperate Housewives having concluded being available to stream, longtime fans can also forgo another rewatch in favor of checking out something similar. When looking for shows like Desperate Housewives, there is plenty of romance, scandal, and drama to entertain even the most devout fans, and it is easier than ever to find these shows now on various streaming services. From straight romances to mysteries and intense drama, there is something for every Desperate Housewives fan, no matter why they originally watched the show.
The Best TV Shows Of All Time, Ranked
The best TV shows of all time will be debated forever, but there are clear contenders. These are the very best TV shows of all time, ranked.
20 Big Little Lies (2017-2019)
2 Seasons, 14 Episodes
Big Little Lies
- Release Date
- 2017 - 2026-00-00
- Network
- HBO Max
- Showrunner
- David E. Kelley
WHERE TO WATCH
- Seasons
- 2
With an A-list cast that includes Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, and even Meryl Streep, it's no wonder Big Little Lies became one of HBO's biggest shows, raking in award nominations and wins after its first season. An impressive cast of talent brings the dark comedy of the series to life.
Based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Liane Moriarty, the series follows a group of moms who end up entangled in a murder investigation. Just like Desperate Housewives, Big Little Lies is full of sex, drama, and, of course, murder, with great leading ladies at the center. The show wrapped up its run after two seasons, with 16 total Primetime Emmy nominations. While it might not have as many episodes to watch, it's a relatively quick binge compared to Desperate Housewives.
19 Bridgerton (2020- )
2 Seasons, 16 Episodes
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Bridgerton
- Release Date
- December 25, 2020
- Directors
- Tom Verica, Tricia Brock
- Writers
- Julia Quinn, Chris Van Dusen, Jess Brownell, Abby McDonald, Joy C. Mitchell
Cast
Rege-Jean Page
WHERE TO WATCH
- Seasons
- 3
Netflix's is a hit period piece that employs the female gaze and tells a love story from a young woman's point of view. Those who enjoy the abundance of female protagonists in Desperate Housewives will likely love Bridgerton. This series offers up a ton of drama in the form of developing romances and hidden family secrets in upper-class Regency-era English families, and has a similarly gorgeous style, too.
While Desperate Housewives was about mystery and deceit, Bridgerton prefers to go more with the romance and love aspects of the tales. The series does, however, feature plenty of gossip and scandal thanks to the writings of Lady Whistledown about the goings-on of the ton during the peak of the social season. The women of Regency Era London can be as catty as the housewives in an affluent neighbordhood.
18 Dead To Me (2019-2022)
3 Seasons, 30 Episodes
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Dead to Me
- Release Date
- 2019 - 2022-00-00
- Showrunner
- Liz Feldman
- Directors
- Liz Feldman
Cast
Linda Cardellini
WHERE TO WATCH
- Seasons
- 3
A Netflix series, Dead To Me centers on two strangers who meet in a grief group and quickly bond over the dramatics of their peers and their shared loss. However, the show quickly takes a turn when it's revealed that Judy isn't mourning the loss of her boyfriend and instead is the hit-and-run driver who killed Jen's husband. That's the kind of twist an episode of Desperate Housewives would end on to keep fans coming back for more.
Though dramatic and with tons of plot twists, the series is also downright hilarious as these two less-than-perfect women bond and seek revenge, making it perfect for fans of shows like Desperate Housewives. The series has plenty of dramatic moments while effortlessly weaving in its dark humor, much like Desperate Housewives does.
17 Devious Maids (2013-2016)
4 Seasons, 49 Episodes
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Devious Maids
- Release Date
- 2013 - 2016-00-00
- Writers
- Marc Cherry
Cast
Ana Ortiz
Dania Ramirez
Roselyn Sanchez
Judy Reyes
WHERE TO WATCH
- Seasons
- 4
- Creator(s)
- Marc Cherry
Despite airing in the year immediately after Desperate Housewives and following a similar tone, Devious Maids never caught on with fans quite like Desperate Housewives did. Set in luxurious Beverly Hills, the series is centered on the housekeepers of wealthy families who bond over their struggles and dreams for a better life and know the dramatic and juicy secrets their rich employers are keeping.
With sex, murder, and lies a core aspect of the plot, Devious Maids is perfect for fans of Desperate Housewives
Part of what kept viewers tuning into Desperate Housewives was the neverending secrets being revealed among the main characters. Devious Maids unveils secrets at the same speed, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats. With sex, murder, and lies a core aspect of the plot, Devious Maids is perfect for fans of Desperate Housewives, but from a slightly different point of view. As a bonus, both shows feature Eva Longoria as well.
16 Good Girls (2018-2021)
4 Seasons, 50 Episodes
Fans of NBC's Good Girls were heartbroken when the series was canceled on some major cliffhangers. As long as new viewers go into the series knowing that some stories will be cut short and they might still have questions after the credits role, the show is still a great option for fans of Desperate Housewives.
After finding themselves financially unstable, two sisters and their best friend decide to rob a local grocery store to get the cash they need to get ahead. It's an easy job until they discover the money they stole belonged to a gang whom they now must work for to pay off their debts. The more they try to get themselves out of trouble, the bigger the trouble is that seems to follow them. There are so many twists and turns in this female-led series that it'll remind any viewer of Desperate Housewives.
15 Gossip Girl (2007-2012)
6 Seasons, 121 Episodes
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Gossip Girl
- Release Date
- 2007 - 2012-00-00
- Network
- The CW
- Showrunner
- Joshua Safran
Cast
Serena van der Woodsen
Leighton MeesterBlair Waldorf
WHERE TO WATCH
- Seasons
- 6
Gossip Girl features women at the center of all sorts of scandals. It is Desperate Housewives if the housewives were teenagers and under the watchful eye of an anonymous blogger. Similar to the housewives, the wealthy main characters of Gossip Girl know how to get messy. Things these "best friends" have done to each other include stealing phones, cheating, sleeping with each other's significant other(s), blackmail, and bullying, just to name a few.
The series also has a lot of guest stars who come and go while the core cast of characters remains the same, just like Desperate Housewives. Also, Gabrielle would definitely approve of the fashion and want to be invited to all of the parties. With six seasons streaming on HBO Max, and a reboot available as well, check out Gossip Girl for some very familiar tales with some younger protagonists.
40 Gossip Girl Quotes That Will Stick With Us Forever
The original Gossip Girl teens of the Upper East Side have many memorable quotes, from Blair and Chuck's insults to Dan's wise words.
14 Grey's Anatomy (2005- )
20 Seasons, 420+ Episodes
Grey's Anatomy
- Network
- ABC
- Showrunner
- Meg Marinis
- Directors
- Rob Corn, Kevin McKidd, Debbie Allen, Chandra Wilson, Allison Liddi-Brown, Jeannot Szwarc, Tony Phelan
- Writers
- Shonda Rhimes, Julie Wong, Jen Klein, Tameson Duffy, Meg Marinis
Cast
Ellen PompeoDr. Meredith Grey
Chandra WilsonDr. Miranda Bailey
- Seasons
- 21
Grey's Anatomy is very much a product of the 2000s. As such, it has a distinctive vibe that will feel familiar to Housewives fans, like an ensemble cast, found family dynamics, and plenty of relationship drama. However, Housewives ended its run soon after the turn of the decade, but Grey's kept on going and is one of the longest-running scripted shows in TV history.
For fans looking for something to occupy them for the long run, it's a smart idea to consider investing time in Grey's Anatomy, one of the most popular medical dramas of all time. While the same kind of drama of Housewives is not here, the strong female characters and close-knit friendships are in abundance. If fans find themselves enjoying the procedural aspect of Grey's Anatomy, there are also several spin-offs that connect to the series as well, like Private Practice and Station 19.
13 Killing Eve (2018-2022)
4 Seasons, 32 Episodes
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Killing Eve
- Release Date
- 2018 - 2022-00-00
- Network
- BBC
- Showrunner
- Phoebe Waller-Bridge
WHERE TO WATCH
- Seasons
- 4
Killing Eve, starring Sandra Oh, shares something of the general tone and black comedy of Desperate Housewives. Like Housewives, Killing Eve involves a lot of murder and danger but does so with a wry sense of humor about it all. The series doesn't focus on quite as large of an ensemble cast, but instead, offers two interesting, multifaceted female protagonists, as fans debate if Eve and Villanelle are meant to be together on Killing Eve. Oh's Eve becomes obsessed with tracking down assassin Villanelle, played by Jodie Comer, and the two develop feelings that complicate their dynamic along the way.
Killing Eve was nominated for a whopping 169 awards at various award shows around the world during its run. Sandra Oh, Jodie Comer, and the show as a whole won several. The series snagged Outstanding Drama series at the BAFTAs in 2019, Comer won for Lead Actress in a Drama at the Emmys the same year, and Oh won a Golden Globe.
12 One Tree Hill (2003-2012)
9 Seasons, 187 Episodes
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One Tree Hill
- Release Date
- 2003 - 2012-00-00
- Network
- The CW
- Showrunner
- Mark Schwahn
Cast
Chad Michael Murray
James Lafferty
WHERE TO WATCH
- Seasons
- 9
If the family dynamics and neighborhood drama are the appeal, One Tree Hill has much of the same. This series follows two teenage half-brothers and the people in their lives in the town of Tree Hill. Nathan and Lucas hate each other, but share a father, and said father causes all kinds of trouble for basically everyone in their small town.
A lot of the plot deals with the boys and their mothers, telling stories about these dynamics from the sons' point of view, something of a reversal of how these dynamics are explored on Housewives (think Bree and Andrew). One of the best aspects of One Tree Hill, however, is that the show outgrows its high school roots and has a time jump later in the series, allowing the audience to grow with the characters and see them closer to the ages of some of those central to Desperate Housewives as well.
11 Ozark (2017-2022)
4 Seasons, 44 Episodes
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Ozark
- Release Date
- 2017 - 2022-00-00
- Showrunner
- Bill Dubuque
- Directors
- Bill Dubuque
Cast
-
Katrina Lenk
WHERE TO WATCH
- Seasons
- 4
Adultery is a common theme in both Desperate Housewives and the lengthy Netflix original drama series Ozark. As Housewives fans know, two out of the four main housewives were unfaithful to their husbands at one point or another, and everyone but Lynette knew what it was like to be cheated on.
The family drama in Ozark begins when Marty finds proof that his wife has been having an affair. They have to stay together for the sake of their family's safety, as the series centers on the trouble they get into when Marty takes a job laundering money for a drug cartel, and his wife and kids get involved. While drug cartels don't play a big role in Desperate Housewives, shady deals and criminal activity still take place in the comedy, so the two shows aren't as far removed from one another as some might think.
All 4 Seasons Of Ozark, Ranked
Ozark is an incredibly well-constructed series following the Byrde family, and their dealings with the cartel, but seasons vary in quality throughout.
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