Secrets of Desperate Housewives' New Gay Neighbors Revealed!

Two gay guys are about to shake up Wisteria Lane, but it's not their sexuality that's the issue — it's their bad taste in art! On October 21, Desperate Housewives(Sundays at 9 pm/ET, ABC) will introduce newbie neighbors Bob and Lee — played by Tuc Watkins (One Life to Live) and Kevin Rahm (Judging Amy) — and they'll quickly get tiffy with Susan (Teri Hatcher).

"Susan is so desperate to be nice, she puts her foot in her mouth and pisses them off," reveals creator Marc Cherry. "She and Lee become instant enemies." Emotions escalate when the boys unveil a pricey but annoyingly shiny sculpture/fountain on their front lawn. "Everyone is united in thinking it's the ugliest thing ever, but it tears Wisteria Lane apart," Cherry says. "Half the people want the fountain removed and half are defending Bob and Lee's right to have it. It causes a power struggle between Lynette [Felicity Huffman] and Kather­ine [Dana Delany] over who's going to run the homeowners' association."

Bob and Lee will move into the old Applewhite house, putting them between Susan and Gaby (Eva Longoria). "They've escaped the big city at Bob's insistence, so it's kind of a Green Acres thing," Watkins says. "Bob loves the suburbs. Lee's a bitch and hates it." In an effort to make nice with the neigh­bors, Bob opens up their home for a Halloween party, but the mix of new and old acquaintances turns toxic. Hints Watkins: "We invite some of our friends from the city, and not only do they humiliate us, they incriminate us."

Yes, Bob and Lee have their secrets. (There's even buzz that one of them may have a past in pornography.) "C'mon, this is Desperate House­wives! I don't think you're allowed on the show unless you're hiding something," Rahm says. "But Bob and Lee dig into other people's business, too. In protect­ing our fountain, we learn Katherine's big secret and use it as blackmail."

Both actors have played gay before: Watkins on Showtime's Beggars and Choosers, Rahm on CSI(he killed Cath­erine's dad) and on the flopped sitcom Crumbs(as Fred Savage's boyfriend). Still, neither landed Housewives easily.

"Rumor is, they were wooing David Beckham and Robbie Williams, and that made a lot of actors want these roles," says Rahm, who barely got in the door on the last day of auditions. He'd been shoot­ing a guest spot on Scrubs — in a bald cap — and was warned to be in Cherry's office no later than 6:30 pm. He wrapped Scrubs at 6:40. "I lucked out," Rahm says. "If Marc hadn't been running late, he wouldn't have seen me."

Watkins had previously gone out for the role of new hottie gynecologist Adam. But the gig went to pal and former One Life to Live costar Nathan Fillion. "In the end, things worked out fine," Watkins notes. "I was really happy for Nathan. Really. I also wanted to put a knife in his neck." Wel­come to Wisteria Lane.

Sneak a peak of the Wisteria Lane residents with Desperate Housewives clips in our Online Video Guide.
Get an exclusive look at Alex's reborn romance with "Jane Doe" on Grey's Anatomy in the Oct. 22 issue of TV Guide. Try four risk-free issues now!
Send your comments on this feature to letters@tvguide.com.