Desperate Housewives - Series 1 to 6 DVD Box Set

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Desperate Housewives
Series 1 to 5 DVD Box Set

RRP: £161.99

Best Price: £113.39

The idea that appearances can be deceiving is something of a recent trend for TV drama and film. Since American Beauty, audiences have always suspected that underneath the polished, glossy surface of the screen, something dark must be waiting patiently to strike. It’s a reflection of America, of pride over truth, and it’s an idea rich in comedy and drama alike.

Desperate Housewives takes place on Wisteria Lane, a carefully arranged little paradise of picket fences and evenly mowed lawns inhabited by women with carefully arranged hair and make-up. The place mirrors the people - but just as sewers run underneath the ground, so too something darker lurks beneath all that make up. Glib narration is supplied from the outset by Mary Alice Young (Brenda Strong) and it quickly becomes clear that her absence in the show can only be explained one way - she is dead. So then is the mystery set-up which plays out across the episodes - who is this woman, what did she do, and why did she die?

Unhelpfully, the ensemble cast is made up of the type of woman that never talks about these bigger issues, and so the show keeps you guessing well into the first few seasons. Fortunately, the domestic hell posing as heaven makes for plenty of great comedy-drama in the meantime - Teri Hatcher makes a surprisingly funny turn as Susan, Felicity Huffman is on top form as stay-at-home mum Lynette, Eva Longoria makes a sexy, passionate Gabrielle, and Marcia Cross is completely believable as OCD perfectionist Bree. These characters are the best of friends, but their problems at home and in love give them plenty of struggles to overcome together.

While the show is broadly pitched as a comedy-drama, it is at its absolute best when it swerves suddenly from light playful comedy to hard-hitting moments that reach darker places than you’d expect. Particularly in season six, events are genuinely shocking - these characters are put through it all and, eventually, it becomes clear that things can’t end well for everyone.

This box set also includes a stunning array of special features, including extended episodes, behind the scenes clips and interviews with cast and crew.