ABC to cancel Desperate Housewives after season eight

US network ABC is to end female skewing comedy drama Desperate Housewives after its eighth season.

The show, which was created by Marc Cherry and is produced by ABC Studios, originally launched in 2004 where it saw averaging ratings of over 23 million.

Paul Lee, president, ABC Entertainment Group, said at the Television Critics Association’s summer press tour that it wanted the series to go out  on a high.

“I just wanted to make sure this show that sort of put this network on the map – certainly the new brand of this network for the last six or seven years – had its victory lap,” he said.

Cherry added: I’m also very aware of people overstaying their welcome, shows that go on too long and people just forget about them. They drift away into nothing, and they’re unceremoniously booted off. I wanted to go out while the network still saw us as a viable show, while we were still doing well in the ratings, and we were still a force to be contended with. I wanted to go out in the classiest way possible.”

The show has also been a huge hit internationally both in terms of finished tape sales and local format deals; it has been produced locally across Latin America.