Desperate Scousewives

Desperate Scousewives is a British scripted-reality television series based in Liverpool.[1] It premiered on E4 at 10:00pm on 28 November 2011.[2] It ran for eight episodes before being cancelled due to stagnating ratings and a perceived lack of interest in cast members from viewers.[3] The show gained favourable viewing figures for its first episode, debuting with 500,000 viewers, 24% up on the E4 channel's slot average. However, episodes for the rest of the series were regularly below this figure and outside of the E4 top-10 weekly rankings.[4]

Desperate Scousewives
GenreReality television
Created byTiffany Ballou
Louise Cowmeadow
Directed byJames Abbadi
Stten Agro
Philip Wood
Starring
  • Amanda Harrington
  • Elissa Corrigan
  • Gill O'Toole
  • Debbie O'Toole
  • Jodie Lundstram
  • Chris Johnson
  • Mark Johnson
  • Jaiden Micheal
  • Sam Wools
  • Layla Flaherty
  • Chloe Cummings
  • Joe McMahon
  • Danny Latimer
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producersMichael Massey
Mal Young
Production locationLiverpool
Running time60 mins (inc. adverts)
Release
Original networkE4
E4 HD
Original release28 November 2011 (2011-11-28) –
16 January 2012 (2012-01-16)

The show's name is a play on words of the American comedy-drama Desperate Housewives and was said to be "Liverpool's answer to The Only Way Is Essex and Made in Chelsea".[5] Repeats began airing on 4Music from 26 April 2012,[6] sparking speculation from cast members that it may be a test run to recommission a new series on 4Music instead of E4.[7][8] However, E4 reaffirmed their decision several times about the show's cancellation via their official Twitter page despite cast members continually claiming that a second series is in production.[9]

Overview

Liverpool, the Pool of Life, centre of the universe, no contest. Why live anywhere else when you've got it all here? The amazing buildings, the brilliant shops, the coolest nightlife and music - we invented that and all you know. Chop us in half and we've got Scouser written all the way through us. We're loud and we're proud, it must be something that they put in that water, the Mersey that is. This is Liverpool and these are our very real stories.

— Jodie Lundstram, in the opening scene

When Desperate Scousewives debuted, E4 described it as: "Meet the strong, independent women who quite literally run this town, looking to make a name for themselves in the city famous for its big personalities, big dreams, and even bigger hair. In a world revolving around football, fierce fashion, and that famous WAG style, Scouse girls and boys are all about having a boss night out on the town. But looking good is a 24/7 job as the ladies dress to impress to bag themselves the man of their dreams. The next generation of Liverpudlians determined to show the UK just what they're all about. Behind the blonde hair, 'Scouse eyebrows', football matches and club nights are real guys and girls determined to make a name for themselves, work hard and achieve a dream no matter how big or small. The girls spend every hard earned penny making sure they stand out from the crowd. And the boys of Liverpool have to work hard to keep up with them, woo them, and win their hearts. But they're not adverse [sic] to a bit of Premiership style preening themselves; some of Liverpool's most handsome and sought-after guys are pros at living a footballer's lifestyle, even if it is just off the pitch."[10]

Reception

Critical reception

The reaction to Desperate Scousewives was largely negative and prompted strong criticism from both the mainstream media and audiences alike. On social networking site Twitter, local Liverpudlians claimed that the show's cast were not representative of Liverpool and that they exploited it purely for entertainment purposes, as, despite its title, many cast members are not married and some did not even originate from Liverpool.[11] The content of the show was also criticised heavily as being scripted and devoid of plot or substance[12] and produced simply to establish a show based upon Merseyside following the format of other successful regional 'structured reality' shows such as The Only Way Is Essex, Made in Chelsea and Geordie Shore.[13]

Panned by critics, Keith Watson of Metro described Desperate Scousewives as "depressing viewing" adding that the show "simply takes the TOWIE template up the Mersey Tunnel, at the bleached bottom end of which you’ll find the most depressing bunch of faked-up, vacuous wannabes we've suffered since, well... the last of these unreal reality shows was launched. Five minutes in the company of Amanda, Joe, Layla and poison blogger Jaiden, and my faith in human nature was hitting zero. Not one of them can hold a conversation that’s not about themselves. They all live in a toxic, self-absorbed bubble. And they’re not even funny."[14]

Ratings

Episode viewing figures from BARB.[15]

Desperate Scousewives gained favourable viewing figures for its first episode debuting with 500,000 viewers, 24% up on the E4 channel's slot average. However, episodes for the rest of the series were regularly below this figure and outside of the E4 Top 10 weekly rankings.[4]

Episode no.Air dateTotal viewersE4 weekly rankingReferences
128 November 2011Over 500,000Outside Top 10[4][15]
25 December 2011655,0008[15]
312 December 2011Under 548,000Outside Top 10[15]
419 December 2011Under 553,000Outside Top 10[15]
526 December 2011Under 516,000Unknown[15]
62 January 2012Under 554,000Outside Top 10[15]
79 January 2012Under 612,000Outside Top 10[15]
816 January 2012Under 587,000Outside Top 10[15]

Cancellation

On 2 February 2012, E4 executive producers announced that they would not recommission Desperate Scousewives for a second series.

Cast members
Main Cast memberAgeOccupation
Chloe Cummings21Part-time nurse, model and cousin of Sean
Layla Flaherty28Student
Amanda Harrington30Model, appeared in the Hot Shots Calendar
Jaiden Micheal27Celebrity blogger
Jodie Lundstram27Make up artist
Debbie O'Toole26Model, former Miss Liverpool, younger sister of Gill
Gill O'Toole30Older sister of Debbie
Supporting Cast memberAgeOccupation
Sean Clancy24Footballer and brother of Abbey Clancy
Elissa Corrigan26Journalist
Steven Dermott30Personal Trainer and love interest of Elissa
Chris Johnson27Salon owner and husband of Mark
Mark Johnson25Salon owner and husband of Chris
Danny Latimer27DJ
Keely Lundstram33Public Relations manager and cousin of Jodie
Joe McMahon28Club promoter
George Panayiotou24Entrepreneur
Adam Ramsey28Property manager
Sam Wooley20Student and Kate Middleton lookalike

References
  1. "Desperate Scousewives - E4.com". E4. 28 November 2011. Retrieved 28 November 2011./
  2. "Desperate Scousewives - Starts Monday on E4". YouTube. 28 November 2011. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
  3. Tina Miles (28 February 2012). "Liverpool-based dramality Desperate Scousewives axed after one series (VIDEO of Liverpool reaction)". liverpoolecho.
  4. Plunkett, John (29 November 2011). "Desperate Scousewives debuts with more than 500,000 viewers". The Guardian. London.
  5. "Desperate Scousewives: Meet the cast of Liverpool's answer to TOWIE". 15 November 2011. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
  6. "Desperate Scousewives". Channel 4.
  7. "Twitter". twitter.com.
  8. "Twitter". twitter.com.
  9. "Twitter". twitter.com.
  10. "Desperate Scousewives - About the show".
  11. Dawn Collinson (5 December 2011). "Liverpool-born Desperate Scousewives producer Mal Young defends show as 'slice of Liverpool life' in face of fierce criticism". liverpoolecho.
  12. Paddy Shennan (28 November 2011). "Desperate Scousewives review: "At least it's only on E4, which should help with the damage limitation"". liverpoolecho.
  13. "Desperate Scousewives stars promise 'We're bigger and better than TOWIE'". Metro.
  14. "TV". Metro.
  15. "Weekly Top 10 Programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board.
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