"Pilot" is the first episode of the American dramedy-mystery series Desperate Housewives. It premiered on October 3, 2004, on the ABC network. It was written by series creator Marc Cherry and directed by Charles McDougall. The pilot introduces the residents of the suburban neighborhood of Wisteria Lane. Following the suicide of an outwardly successful neighbor, her friends begin to deal with the problems in their personal lives. Susan Mayer (Teri Hatcher) competes for the attention of a new plumber who has moved across the street; Bree Van de Kamp (Marcia Cross) struggles with her failing marriage and ungrateful family; Gabrielle Solis (Eva Longoria) continues an affair with her sixteen-year-old gardener; and Lynette Scavo (Felicity Huffman) copes with life as a stay-at-home mother of four.

Cherry conceived the idea for the series while watching coverage of the Andrea Yates murder trials, and was fascinated by how women lead lives of quiet desperation. He began writing the script in 2002 and pitched it to several networks throughout the following year. In October 2003, ABC announced that it had picked up the pilot. Casting began in February 2004 and filming took place the following month primarily on the Colonial Street backlot set at Universal Studios. According to Nielsen ratings, the episode was watched by 21.6 million viewers on its original American broadcast, becoming the most-watched program of the week. The pilot received critical acclaim, with critics complimenting the series' tonal diversity. The cast, particularly the four leads and Sheridan, also received praise. The episode won various awards, including three Emmys.

Plot Desperate Housewives focuses on the lives of several residents of the fictitious street of Wisteria Lane. The suburban neighborhood is shocked by the suicide of Mary Alice Young (Brenda Strong), who seems to have led an ideal domestic life. Mary Alice's close friends, Susan Mayer (Teri Hatcher), Lynette Scavo (Felicity Huffman), Bree Van de Kamp (Marcia Cross), and Gabrielle Solis (Eva Longoria), struggle to come to terms with the news. Later, Mary Alice's son, Zach (Cody Kasch), awakens in the middle of the night to find his father, Paul (Mark Moses), unearthing a mysterious chest from the drained swimming pool in their backyard.

Susan, a divorced mother, takes interest in Mike Delfino (James Denton), a plumber who has recently moved to Wisteria Lane; however, she faces competition with neighbor Edie Britt (Nicollette Sheridan), a promiscuous serial divorcée. Suspicious that Mike is spending the night with Edie, Susan enters Edie's home uninvited with the pretense of borrowing sugar. While inside, she accidentally knocks over a candle, which sets fire to the entire house. Susan flees the scene, leaving behind her glass measuring cup. Though wracked with guilt, Susan is relieved to learn that Mike was not the man with whom Edie was fornicating. Meanwhile, Lynette, a former career woman, is frustrated with raising four young children while her husband, Tom (Doug Savant), is constantly away on business.

Bree, a perfectionist homemaker who feels unappreciated by her family, is troubled when her husband Rex (Steven Culp) asks for a divorce. She poisons him by mistakenly putting onions, to which he is deathly allergic, in his salad. At the hospital, Rex accuses Bree of being emotionally unavailable and obsessed with achieving domestic perfection. Elsewhere, Gabrielle, a former model, grows increasingly unhappy with her marriage to Carlos (Ricardo Antonio Chavira), who buys her love with extravagant gifts. She continues an affair with her sixteen-year-old gardener, John Rowland (Jesse Metcalfe).

Paul asks Susan, Lynette, Bree, and Gabrielle to sort through Mary Alice's belongings, as he cannot bear to do so himself. In a box of Mary Alice's clothes, the women discover a blackmail note reading "I know what you did[.] It makes me sick[.] I'm going to tell[.]" The postmark indicates that Mary Alice received it the day she killed herself and the women begin to wonder what secret their friend could have been keeping.

Production

Creation and development

In 2002, Marc Cherry was in a precarious financial situation and was having trouble finding a job. He commented, "I was broke, unable to get even an interview for a writing job, and seriously concerned about my future. I had just turned forty and was starting to wonder if I was one of those deluded writers that wander around Hollywood, convincing themselves they're talented when all the evidence points to the contrary."Touchstone Television, p. 6 While watching television coverage of the Andrea Yates trials with his mother, Cherry turned to her and asked, "Can you imagine being so desperate that you would do that to your children?" to which his mother replied, "I've been there." Cherry was intrigued by the idea that a "perfectly sane, rational woman could have the life she wanted, being a wife and mother ... and still have moments of insanity;" he began writing the pilot episode soon after."Suburbia sizzles in 'Housewives'". msnbc.com. September 30, 2004. Retrieved August 15, 2010. Cherry originally developed the concept as a half-hour comedy. However, after his agent was arrested for embezzlement, Cherry signed with Paradigm Talent Agency, where he was advised to rewrite the script as a soap opera.Weinraub, Bernard (October 23, 2004). "How Desperate Women Saved Desperate Writer". The New York Times. Retrieved April 25, 2011. Cherry completed the first draft of the pilot in April 2002 and pitched the script to CBS, NBC, Fox, HBO, Showtime, and Lifetime, all of which turned it down.Touchstone Television, p. 7

Following script rewrites, Cherry pitched the series to ABC, who picked up the pilot.McDougall, Charles (January 5, 2005). "Desperately seeking a ratings hit". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved August 15, 2010. ABC executives were, however, concerned about the title of the series, which Cherry had selected before even writing the script. They suggested renaming the series Wisteria Lane or The Secret Lives of Housewives, but Cherry insisted on keeping the original title."A Stroll Down Wisteria Lane with Marc Cherry and Meredith Vieira". Desperate Housewives: The Complete First Season. [DVD]. Touchstone Pictures. Retrieved August 15, 2010. He later commented, "I put 'desperate' [into the title] to try to indicate, however subtly ... I'm going to have some fun with the imagery, to take it to some interesting places. Most critics got the joke. Some people see the word 'housewives' and it pushes a button in them and they seem to lose all reason."De Moraes, Lisa (October 5, 2004). "ABC's 'Housewives' Leaves Competition in the Dustbuster" . The Washington Post. Retrieved March 25, 2011. The project was officially announced on October 23, 2003, as a cross between American Beauty and Knots Landing."Development Update: October 23". The Futon Critic. October 23, 2003. Retrieved February 13, 2011. While Desperate Housewives, along with fellow new series Grey's Anatomy and Lost, would later help reverse ABC's flagging fortune,Bianco, Robert (April 26, 2005). "A good season, with reason" . USA Today. Retrieved February 13, 2011. network executives Lloyd Braun and Susan Lyne were fired shortly after greenlighting these risky and expensive pilots.Craig, Olga (August 5, 2005). "The man who discovered 'Lost' - and found himself out of a job" . The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved February 13, 2011.Schneider, Michael (January 15, 2009). "ABC hit hold when TV trio launched" . Variety. Retrieved February 13, 2011.

Casting

Casting for Desperate Housewives began in February 2004. Director Charles McDougall reported seeing around 150 "very good and determined women" audition for the four leads. Eva Longoria was the first actor cast in a lead role, landing the role of Gabrielle Solis, a materialistic ex-model, after two auditions.“Development Update: February 9”. The Futon Critic. February 9, 2004. Retrieved August 19, 2010. Longoria, an unknown soap opera actress at the time, stated that prior to her audition, she had not read the entire script. She recounted, "Marc Cherry asks, 'So what did you think of the script?' like the whole thing. And I said, 'Well I didn’t read the script. I only read my part.' And Marc Cherry goes, 'I knew you were Gabrielle at that moment because it was such a Gabrielle thing to say.'"Phillips, Stone (October 23, 2005). "Longoria: I’m desperate to be a housewife". NBC News. Retrieved April 25, 2011. Roselyn Sánchez also auditioned for the role.Hernandez, Lee (April 25, 2011). "Star Tracker: Eddie Cibrian, Mariah Carey and Roselyn Sanchez". Latina. Retrieved April 25, 2011. Teri Hatcher was cast in the role of Susan Mayer, a single mother looking for love, after a second audition for ABC network executives.ABC.com's "Ask Desperate Housewives: Season 6, Part 12" . YouTube. May 4, 2010. Retrieved August 22, 2010. Cherry commended Hatcher's audition, calling it "the best audition I've ever seen in network [television]."ABC.com's "Ask Desperate Housewives: Season 6, Part 12" . YouTube. May 4, 2010. Retrieved May 2, 2011. Actors originally considered for the role include Courteney Cox,Diaz, Glenn (July 10, 2008). "Scrubs: After Michael J. Fox, It's Courtney Cox" . BuddyTV. Retrieved July 5, 2011. Calista Flockhart,Porter, C. Joan (December 1, 2009)."Celebrity Yearbook - Calista Flockhart" . MSN Entertainment. Retrieved August 22, 2010. Mary-Louise Parker,Ryan, Kyle (June 17, 2009). "Mary-Louise Parker". The A.V. Club. Retrieved August 22, 2010. and Sela Ward."Sela Ward: I Could Have Been a Housewife. People. August 4, 2005. Retrieved August 22, 2010. Julia Louis-Dreyfus also expressed interest in the role, but network executives felt she was not right for the part.Sassone, Bob (May 4, 2006). "Desperate Networks is a must-read for TV fans" . TV Squad. Retrieved May 2, 2011.