‘Housewives’ discover that time flies

By Susan Young

The show returns Sunday, but it has jumped into the future.

A lot can happen in five years. Just look at “Desperate Housewives.”

Creator Marc Cherry said the series had become a little too soapy and it was time to clean the scum off the tub. So at the end of last season, he hit the fast-forward button into the future after getting inspiration from ABC’s time-jumping series “Lost.”

“I was originally going to do an eight-year jump,” Cherry said. “But then when someone explained to me how the actresses would react to the idea that they were eight years older, I thought maybe five. Maybe I could get away with five.”

The move forward brought drastic changes for the women of Wisteria Lane and the men in their lives.

“Susan is not the same Susan,” said Teri Hatcher, who plays that character on the show. “She’s suffered and changed her thinking about a lot of things.”

And the days of klutzy humor for which she was known may be behind dear Susan as “Desperate Housewives” embarks on its fifth season Sunday at 9 p.m.

Some things won’t change. Deceased housewife Mary Alice is still the show’s narrator. And as with previous seasons there will be a mystery: Edie (Nicollette Sheridan) has married a man (Neal McDonough) with revenge on his mind.

When we first met these suburbanites, they all had their own desires: Bree wanted to be the perfect homemaker, Lynette believed she could be a successful businesswoman and mother, Gaby yearned for a world that revolved solely around her, and Susan pursued a happily-ever-after romantic fantasy.

Susan’s new story line is “a shocker,” said Bob Daily, an executive producer, referring to the dissolution of her relationship with Mike (James Denton). “We’ll learn in the first episode what happened between her and Mike, and it’s a tragic incident. She’s more cynical now and has gone from someone who wanted fairy tale romance to someone who just wants to keep her new relationship casual.”

Susan’s new boyfriend, played by Gale Harold, wants a more committed relationship than she does. As for Mike, he’s still around.

“We had hoped to keep that more of a secret, but it got out quickly that James Denton would be returning to the show,” Daily said.

Producers have discussed a career shift for Susan, who illustrates children’s books, “but right now we’re just dealing with her sorting out her romantic life,” Daily said.

Susan’s not the only one going through dramatic changes. Gaby (Eva Longoria Parker) has transformed from a selfish, rich fashionista to a cash-strapped mom caring for her blind husband.

“All the things she held dear, she’s lost. And on top of it all, she’s got a 5-year-old daughter with a weight problem,” Daily said.