Summary

• Shows like Desperate Housewives, such as Big Little Lies and Dead to Me, offer similar elements of sex, drama, and murder, with strong female leads.
• Bridgerton and Gossip Girl provide the same scandalous and dramatic vibe as Desperate Housewives, with hidden family secrets and juicy scandals.
• Grey's Anatomy and Killing Eve may have different genres, but they feature compelling female characters and long-lasting storylines, perfect for Desperate Housewives fans.

Some shows are hard to define, but when it comes to shows like Desperate Housewives, there are many definitions. The show has it all: adultery, blackmail, shocking deaths, plot twists, and every kind of dysfunctional relationship imaginable. Fans of it loved the gorgeous style of the series and the main characters, as well as the shocking secrets in this perfect suburban world. It's no wonder that fans are always looking for shows like Desperate Housewives, and that doesn't mean reality TV shows like The Real Housewives, which came along two years later.

With Desperate Housewives having concluded being available to stream, longtime fans can also forgo another rewatch in favor of checking out something similar. When looking for shows like Desperate Housewives, there is plenty of romance, scandal, and drama to entertain even the most devout fans, and it is easier than ever to find these shows now on various streaming services. From straight romances to mysteries and intense drama, there is something for every Desperate Housewives fan, no matter why they originally watched the show.

20 Big Little Lies (2017-2019)

2 Seasons, 14 Episodes

Stream now on Max

With an A-list cast that includes Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, and even Meryl Streep, it's no wonder Big Little Lies became one of HBO's biggest shows, raking in award nominations and wins after its first season. An impressive cast of talent brings the dark comedy of the series to life.

Based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Liane Moriarty, the series follows a group of moms who end up entangled in a murder investigation. Just like Desperate Housewives, Big Little Lies is full of sex, drama, and, of course, murder, with great leading ladies at the center. The show wrapped up its run after two seasons, with 16 total Primetime Emmy nominations. While it might not have as many episodes to watch, it's a relatively quick binge compared to Desperate Housewives.

19 Bridgerton (2020- )

2 Seasons, 16 Episodes

Stream now on Netflix

Netflix's Bridgerton is a hit period piece that employs the female gaze and tells a love story from a young woman's point of view. Those who enjoy the abundance of female protagonists in Desperate Housewives will likely love Bridgerton. This series offers up a ton of drama in the form of developing romances and hidden family secrets in upper-class Regency-era English families, and has a similarly gorgeous style, too.

While Desperate Housewives was about mystery and deceit, Bridgerton prefers to go more with the romance and love aspects of the tales. The series does, however, feature plenty of gossip and scandal thanks to the writings of Lady Whistledown about the goings-on of the ton during the peak of the social season. The women of Regency Era London can be as catty as the housewives in an affluent neighbordhood.

18 Dead To Me (2019-2022)

3 Seasons, 30 Episodes

Stream now on Netflix

A Netflix series, Dead To Me centers on two strangers who meet in a grief support group and quickly bond over the dramatics of their peers and their shared loss. However, the show quickly takes a turn when it's revealed that Judy isn't mourning the loss of her boyfriend and instead is the hit-and-run driver who killed Jen's husband. That's the kind of twist an episode of Desperate Housewives would end on to keep fans coming back for more.

Though dramatic and with tons of plot twists, the series is also downright hilarious as these two less-than-perfect women bond and seek revenge, making it perfect for fans of shows like Desperate Housewives. The series has plenty of dramatic moments while effortlessly weaving in its dark humor, much like Desperate Housewives does.

17 Devious Maids (2013-2016)

4 Seasons, 49 Episodes

Stream now on Hulu

Despite airing in the year immediately after Desperate Housewives and following a similar tone, Devious Maids never caught on with fans quite like Desperate Housewives did. Set in luxurious Beverly Hills, the series is centered on the housekeepers of wealthy families who bond over their struggles and dreams for a better life and know the dramatic and juicy secrets their rich employers are keeping.

With sex, murder, and lies a core aspect of the plot, Devious Maids is perfect for fans of Desperate Housewives

Part of what kept viewers tuning into Desperate Housewives was the neverending secrets being revealed among the main characters. Devious Maids unveils secrets at the same speed, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats. With sex, murder, and lies a core aspect of the plot, Devious Maids is perfect for fans of Desperate Housewives, but from a slightly different point of view. As a bonus, both shows feature Eva Longoria as well.

16 Good Girls (2018-2021)

4 Seasons, 50 Episodes

Stream now on Netflix

Fans of NBC's Good Girls were heartbroken when the series was canceled on some major cliffhangers. As long as new viewers go into the series knowing that some stories will be cut short and they might still have questions after the credits role, the show is still a great option for fans of Desperate Housewives.

After finding themselves financially unstable, two sisters and their best friend decide to rob a local grocery store to get the cash they need to get ahead. It's an easy job until they discover the money they stole belonged to a gang whom they now must work for to pay off their debts. The more they try to get themselves out of trouble, the bigger the trouble is that seems to follow them. There are so many twists and turns in this female-led series that it'll remind any viewer of Desperate Housewives.

15 Gossip Girl (2007-2012)

6 Seasons, 121 Episodes

Stream now on Max

Gossip Girl features women at the center of all sorts of scandals. It is Desperate Housewives if the housewives were teenagers and under the watchful eye of an anonymous blogger. Similar to the housewives, the wealthy main characters of Gossip Girl know how to get messy. Things these "best friends" have done to each other include stealing phones, cheating, sleeping with each other's significant other(s), blackmail, and bullying, just to name a few.

The series also has a lot of guest stars who come and go while the core cast of characters remains the same, just like Desperate Housewives. Also, Gabrielle would definitely approve of the fashion and want to be invited to all of the parties. With six seasons streaming on HBO Max, and a reboot available as well, check out Gossip Girl for some very familiar tales with some younger protagonists.

14 Grey's Anatomy (2005- )

20 Seasons, 420+ Episodes

Stream now on Netflix

Grey's Anatomy is very much a product of the 2000s. As such, it has a distinctive vibe that will feel familiar to Housewives fans, like an ensemble cast, found family dynamics, and plenty of relationship drama. However, Housewives ended its run soon after the turn of the decade, but Grey's kept on going and is one of the longest-running scripted shows in TV history.

For fans looking for something to occupy them for the long run, it's a smart idea to consider investing time in Grey's Anatomy, one of the most popular medical dramas of all time. While the same kind of drama of Housewives is not here, the strong female characters and close-knit friendships are in abundance. If fans find themselves enjoying the procedural aspect of Grey's Anatomy, there are also several spin-offs that connect to the series as well, like Private Practice and Station 19.

13 Killing Eve (2018-2022)

4 Seasons, 32 Episodes

Stream now on Prime Video

Killing Eve, starring Sandra Oh, shares something of the general tone and black comedy of Desperate Housewives. Like Housewives, Killing Eve involves a lot of murder and danger but does so with a wry sense of humor about it all. The series doesn't focus on quite as large of an ensemble cast, but instead, offers two interesting, multifaceted female protagonists, as fans debate if Eve and Villanelle are meant to be together on Killing Eve. Oh's Eve becomes obsessed with tracking down assassin Villanelle, played by Jodie Comer, and the two develop feelings that complicate their dynamic along the way.

Killing Eve was nominated for a whopping 169 awards at various award shows around the world during its run. Sandra Oh, Jodie Comer, and the show as a whole won several. The series snagged Outstanding Drama series at the BAFTAs in 2019, Comer won for Lead Actress in a Drama at the Emmys the same year, and Oh won a Golden Globe.

12 One Tree Hill (2003-2012)

9 Seasons, 187 Episodes

Stream now on Max

If the family dynamics and neighborhood drama are the appeal, One Tree Hill has much of the same. This series follows two teenage half-brothers and the people in their lives in the town of Tree Hill. Nathan and Lucas hate each other, but share a father, and said father causes all kinds of trouble for basically everyone in their small town.

A lot of the plot deals with the boys and their mothers, telling stories about these dynamics from the sons' point of view, something of a reversal of how these dynamics are explored on Housewives (think Bree and Andrew). One of the best aspects of One Tree Hill, however, is that the show outgrows its high school roots and has a time jump later in the series, allowing the audience to grow with the characters and see them closer to the ages of some of those central to Desperate Housewives as well.

11 Ozark (2017-2022)

4 Seasons, 44 Episodes

Stream now on Netflix

Adultery is a common theme in both Desperate Housewives and the lengthy Netflix original drama series Ozark. As Housewives fans know, two out of the four main housewives were unfaithful to their husbands at one point or another, and everyone but Lynette knew what it was like to be cheated on.

The family drama in Ozark begins when Marty finds proof that his wife has been having an affair. They have to stay together for the sake of their family's safety, as the series centers on the trouble they get into when Marty takes a job laundering money for a drug cartel, and his wife and kids get involved. While drug cartels don't play a big role in Desperate Housewives, shady deals and criminal activity still take place in the comedy, so the two shows aren't as far removed from one another as some might think.

10 Pretty Little Liars (2010-2017)

7 Seasons, 160 Episodes

Stream now on Max

The memorable Pretty Little Liars may be one of the few series in existence that can boast more instances of blackmail than Desperate Housewives, which, fans will know, is saying something. Just as the plot of Housewives kicks off with Mary Alice's suicide after she finds out she's being blackmailed, PLL's story kicks off with an anonymous text from "A," who apparently knows all the friends' secrets in the wake of the supposed death of their friend Alison.

Another way that the girls of PLL are like the housewives is their penchant for failed romance, as many PLL relationships are doomed. Part of the fun of both shows is watching those relationships play out though - as well as all of those twists and turns that prove that just when the audience thinks they've figured everything out, there's another secret to uncover.

9 Scream Queens (2015-2016)

2 Seasons, 23 Episodes

Stream now on Hulu

Fans who love the murder mystery element of Desperate Housewives will probably love Scream Queens. This show, which only ran for two seasons, is all about a series of murders that the main characters try to both avoid and solve. Season 1 takes place on a college campus, as a sorority house with a dark history is plagued by grisly murders. Season 2 has the characters working in a learning hospital, where yet another murderer is on the loose.

With Jamie Lee Curtis, Emma Roberts, Lea Michele, and Keke Palmer, there are also plenty of strong women involved in this series. The big difference between these two shows, however, is tone. While Desperate Housewives leaned into the soapier aspects of the drama alongside the humor, Scream Queens is more like a satire of slasher flicks, going for the comedy alongside the blood instead.

8 The Americans (2013-2018)

6 Seasons, 75 Episodes

Stream now on Hulu

FX's The Americans focuses a lot on the marriage between Philip and Elizabeth, the two main characters. It's also a full-on, highbrow espionage drama about the Cold War. The Americans had six great seasons, but fans of Desperate Housewives will likely enjoy the relationship drama, danger, and intrigue. With Keri Russell as the show's leading lady, she provides a more grounded approach to the high-stakes drama.

Another thing The Americans has in common with Desperate Housewives is the setting: both series take place largely in the suburbs despite nothing mundane happening around them, bringing drama to small town USA. The shows both demonstrate that it's hard for people to ever truly know their neighbors, and that even when they do, there are still likely plenty of dark secrets lurking just below the surface of any neighborly friendship.

7 Weeds (2005-2012)

8 Seasons, 102 Episodes