Critic's view - Thursday, February 3

Desperate Housewives: series return Grey‚„s Anatomy: series return The Bionic Vet Luke Nguyen‚„s Vietnam

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Dollhouse NRL Tactics Arena

The Real Housewives Of New York City

3/5 THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF NEW YORK CITY Monday 10pm, Arena

Basketball Star Makes Longoria A Housewife Twice More

DESPERATE Housewives actress Eva Longoria was set to tie the knot today with basketball champion Tony Parker in a church ceremony in Paris ahead of star-studded celebrations at a 17th-century chateau.

Mrs Robinson Night

IT was something straight out of a Desperate Housewives script - 11 middle-aged women in search of an eager "toy boy" to call their own.

Truth Trumps Fiction, Again

Many high-rating dramas just don't rate. Desperate Housewives Seven, Monday, 8.30pm Grey's Anatomy Seven, Sunday, 8.30pm Tony Robinson: Me and My Mum ABC

It's Footy Desperates V Desperates Housewives

IF your loved one is rugby league mad and your relationship has been tested in recent years, brace yourself for season 2007.

Desperate Return To The Box

SEASON three of Desperate Housewives is back on the box tonight.

Us Program Deal Buoys Seven, Again

There is a curious parallel between the fortunes and misfortunes of the Australian television business and its American counterpart. In the US the ABC network, fuelled by the success of Lost, Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy and Dancing with the Stars, has risen to untold heights. Its rival, NBC, for many years the alpha dog of television thanks to hits such as Friends and ER, is in spectacular free fall. To retell the story from the Australian perspective, simply recast ABC as Seven and NBC as Nine.

No Need For Desperation As Housewives Get Into League

LAST week Desperate Housewives was the top-rating show on American television with an audience of 21.2 million, well clear of Sunday Night Football, featuring the Dallas Cowboys against the Carolina Panthers, placed sixth, and a World Series baseball game between the St Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers, which came a disappointing 12th. In the US, baseball is thought to have done badly if a World Series game doesn't make the top 10.

Housewives Remark Brings Retrial

A CROWN prosecutor who described the defence case of a man accused of rape as worse than a plot in Desperate Housewives had failed in his duty, the Court of Criminal Appeal ruled on Friday. In Tamworth District Court in June last year, a jury convicted Dean John Livermore of three counts of rape and one of indecent assault. Dean Livermore

Desperate To Save The World

THE UNIT 9.30pm, Prime Stick with it. You're going to watch this first episode and find it a hybrid of 24 anti-terrorist masterminds and Desperate Housewives with less plastic surgery.

Motley Is Mainstream At The Fringe Fling

Daniel Ziffer mingles with punk rockers and 1950s housewives at the Melbourne Fringe Festival.

Lakefront Lane Gets The Star Treatment

RESIDENTS of Wangi Wangi had been hoping that buxom bombshell Eva Longoria, from TV's Desperate Housewives, was about to move into the neighbourhood.

Housewives Our Fantasy Designers Of Urban Renewal

IT doesn't stay a mystery for long, once you think about it: why Desperate Housewives is a bigger hit in Australia than in any other country.

She's A Very Slow Learner

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES Prime, 8.30pm When the show first went to air in Australia, each of the housewives had something about her character than made her appealing. Women recognised something of themselves, their family or their friends in Susan, Bree, Gabrielle, Lynette and Edie.

Desperately Seeking Susan's Development

Desperate Housewives

Scaling Dramatic Heights

PRISON BREAK Prime, 8.30pm WHILE Lost and Desperate Housewives have softened into hit-and-miss adventures, this drama (pictured) keeps going from strength to strength.

Testosterone-filled Drama Keeps Pumping

Prison Break Prime, 8.30 While Lost and Desperate Housewives have softened into hit-and-miss adventures, this drama (pictured above) keeps going from strength to strength.

Might-watch Tv

We're not so desperate to watch the housewives any more, and Lost is losing viewers faster then cast members. Melinda Houston analyses why hot shows grow tepid.