The antics on Wisteria Lane are drawing to a close this year, but Desperate Housewives' Eva Longoria is not done whipping up domestic drama. In her new ABC Studios project, the primetime soap diva slips behind the scenes as executive producer of Devious Maids. According to Deadline, the show is an adaptation of a Mexican telenovela called The Disorderly Maids of the Neighborhood.
As Desperate Housewives closes the curtain on its eighth and final season, its creator, Marc Cherry, and other co-executive producers have teamed up with leading lady Eva Longoria to release a new primetime soap series that just might rival the drama on Wisteria Lane. An Americanized retread of a popular Mexican telenovela about five housemaids who work in a condominium, Devious Maids will follow four struggling housemaids who covet the lives of their Beverly Hills employers.
Devious Maids has attracted talented daytime soap stars to its cast. As reported by Soap Central, Susan Lucci (Erica Kane, All My Children) accepted the role of Genevieve Delacourt, a slightly neurotic cougar in need of cleaning services. General Hospital vet Brianna Brown (Lisa Niles) will portray Taylor Slate, a trophy wife who will find the four maids in her "dirty laundry." Also, As the World Turns alum Roselyn Sanchez (Pilar Domingo) is on board to play one of the ambitious Los Angeles maids.
Eva Longoria is no stranger to soap acting or producing. Before her co-starring role on Desperate Housewives, she appeared briefly on The Bold and the Beautiful and General Hospital. In 2001, she took on the part of The Young and the Restless' Isabella Brana.
Outside of daytime, in 2010, she served as executive producer of the documentary Latinos Living the American Dream. Early in her career, she co-produced made-for-TV movies and television specials.
In addition to Devious Maids, she has another show in the works for 2012. The New York Post reports that Longoria, inspired by her 2011 divorce, conceptualized a reality series to help other women recover from broken relationships. Tentatively titled, All About Love, the show will enlist the coaching skills of celebrity matchmakers like Steve Ward (of VH1's Tough Love) to ease "real women" back into dating after experiencing bad breakups. NBC has ordered a full pickup of the series, which begins filming in April.
ABC has yet to announce an airdate for Devious Maids. Additional cast members of the anticipated series include Judy Reyes, Dania Ramirez, and Ugly Betty's Ana Ortiz, who picked up the remaining three co-starring roles as troublemaking maids.
