I’ve never really been a big TV watcher.  Don’t get me wrong, I love a good movie or show, but it hasn’t ever been something I desire to sit down and do every day.  BUT there are exceptions from time to time, of course.

One of my all time favorite TV shows (don’t judge!) is Desperate Housewives.  I started watching the show when the very first season aired, and continued my once-a-week tradition for years.

Until last week though, I hadn’t watched an episode since Super Spawn was born.

Ah, the glory of streaming Netflix.  Probably needless to say, over the last week I have binged on the delicious drama that is Desperate Housewives (and loved every minute of it).  The good thing is, I learned something.

I will say that I don’t know that I’ve ever seen another show set up quite the way this one is.  Every episode starts with a flashback.  “Previously on Desperate Housewives,” the Narrator says and then goes to explain what lessons were learned and who was betrayed last.

My favorite part though comes at the end where the Narrator grabs back hold of the story for a parting statement on what was learned this time around.  For example, “Danger can lurk in the most unexpected places, but sometimes it sits just across the street.”

What I came to realize after watching so much is that each episode is like a chapter in a book.  Each one builds on the last, the stakes are raised a little higher with every show.  Even if there are solutions to big problems, something else happens to sweeten the pot.

Each show has it’s beginning, middle, and end, and is a story in itself, but they all tie together.  The individual episodes tie into seasons, and the seasons tie together to create this huge arc that has been built so carefully.

It’s so neat to watch, especially the episodes at the end of season seven and beginning of eight (I’m not caught all the way up yet) and see how everything comes together, back to that very first show.  It all comes full circle.

Just like a novel.

I tell you, if you want a lesson on building subplots and character interaction, watch this show.  No joke, after watching so much I went back through my MS and found a lot of little places to tweak to make development stronger using some of the tricks from Desperate Housewives.

TV win.

Do any of you watch Desperate Housewives?  Or do you have another show to recommend as “research”?