Marc Cherry: The End of Desperate Housewives Is "Bittersweet and Lovely"

"The only thing harder than creating a hit show is knowing when to end it," Marc Cherry, creator of Desperate Housewives, told critics Sunday at ABC's fall previews. "I am also aware of people overstaying their welcome. I didn't want that to happen to Desperate Housewives. I wanted to go out when the network still saw us as a viable show and a force to contend with. We felt from a creative standpoint that this was the right time. I feel so good about it."

Desperate Housewives To End This Season

His statements came just minutes after network president Paul Lee confirmed that the upcoming eighth season would be the show's last. "It's an iconic show and we're extremely proud of it," Lee said. "I just wanted to make sure it had its victory lap."Cherry said the final season will focus on the Housewives of Wisteria Lane coming together to keep a secret, which he feels is an appropriate full-circle story. "[It's] going back to roots of Mary Alice," he said "This feels right." Further, Cherry revealed that he's already brainstorming about the series finale. "I have an idea for the last episode, in which I want to pay homage to everyone who's been on the show," he said.Cherry said he's spoken to more than half of the cast, and that conversations so far have been positive and emotional. "It was bittersweet and lovely, because the women knew there was the possibility," he said. "They said some very lovely things to me about how I've changed their lives and careers. I truly, truly love every one of them." Enough to create a spin-off for one of them? "I told [Eva Longoria], 'I'm just going to put you in a van and have you solve mysteries!'" he joked. "The truth is, I sort of thought about [a spin-off] a little bit, but ... I don't want to repeat things I've done."

Check out photos of the Desperate Housewives cast

Instead, his focus is on redeveloping Hallelujah, a pilot that failed to earn a series order this season.  "Half of [the pilot] was terrific and half of it wasn't," Cherry said. "Our attitude about it is, we will do this when it's right. You kind of have to get it perfect. It's a big swing."
How do you think Desperate Housewives should end?