Drea De Matteo joins 'Desperate Housewives'

"Desperate Housewives" has recruited its sixth housewife.

With Nicolette Sheridan's Edie Britt dead for good, ABC confirms that producers have signed Emmy-winning "Sopranos" actress Drea De Matteo to join the cast as Wisteria Lane's newest housewife.

Michael Ausiello reports that Matteo will play "the matriarch of a new Italian family." A source tells him casting is also underway for "her landscape designer husband and their tightly wound son."

-- Denise Martin

Photos: Drea De Matteo in "The Sopranos" / HBO. The cast of "Desperate Housewives" / ABC

Neal McDonough spoils 'Desperate Housewives' finale, talks series spin-off

On today's edition of "The View," Neal McDonough dropped a pretty major bomb regarding the fate of his "Desperate Housewives" character, resident psychopath Dave Williams.

You can stop reading now if you don't want to ruin the end for yourself, but if you've been watching this season, it should not come as that big of a shock.

McDonough let it slip to the "View" hosts that the revenge-bent Dave will die during the "Desperate Housewives" season finale May 17. 

When asked by Joy Behar if McDonough was originally supposed to die along with Edie, the actor answered: "No, I’m the mystery for the entire year so I wasn’t supposed to die until the very last episode."

The audience's reaction was immediate: "Oooooooh!" McDonough blushed and said, “I didn’t say anything!" When the ladies tried to follow up he cut them off. "Barbara, stop, stop!...On Wisteria Lane, you never really die. You can always come back."

Even more interesting, the actor also seemed to confirm that a "Desperate Housewives" spin-off is in the works revolving around the show's Karen McCluskey (Kathryn Joosten) and her sister Roberta (Lily Tomlin, who will also be back for the finale).

When asked about it, McDonough said, "Kathy’s won two Emmys for the character and Lily’s such a joy to watch, she’s phenomenal, so I’d watch that show in a heartbeat...I don’t know too much about it but I know they’re seriously talking about it and I think it would be a fun show to watch every week."

The New York Post first wrote about the potential project on Tuesday, likening it to a modern-day "Golden Girls," a show that "Desperate Housewives" creator-executive producer Marc Cherry wrote for in the early '90s. The paper said it was unclear whether Cherry would be involved.

A rep for ABC said "there's no truth to the spin-off rumor."

What do you think? Would you watch a Karen & Roberta comedy? Are you surprised at all to learn Dave's outcome?

-- Denise Martin

Photo: Lily Tomlin (left), Neal McDonough, Kathryn Joosten / ABC

Why we weren't allowed to say goodbye to Nicollette Sheridan

When we at Showtracker learned in February that Wisteria Lane's resident tramp was being killed off the show, and permanently this time, we were not happy. Without Edie Britt on "Desperate Housewives," who would continue putting Susan in her place? (And doesn't Susan so often need to be put in her place?)

In an attempt to say a proper farewell, we arranged to sit-down with actress Nicollette Sheridan.

We wanted the details of why her character was being taken out, and in so violent a fashion (she was choked, involved in a car crash and electrocuted in less than five minutes!), when Edie has been so integral to some of the series' best comedy. We wanted to reminisce about Edie's best moments -- like that string of confessionals: "I seduced the cable guy again," "I'm having an affair with a folk singing duo," "Last week, I let Rabbi Lippman get to third base," "Mike Delfino and I made out today -- and it was great!"

Her personal rep enthused: "We love this idea." Silence followed for weeks. And then it fell through without explanation.

Until now.

Turns out Sheridan ran her mouth off to TV Guide, and her reps were doing preemptive damage control.

In the magazine's latest issue, the actress said in no uncertain terms that "Housewives" had lost its mojo: “When the show started it was such a different beast. It was exciting and dangerous and funny and edgy and bizarre. [Then] it started feeling a little complacent, and that was very frustrating.” Sheridan also complained that Edie never got enough attention from the writers. “When you have a jewel, why not polish it and put it out there for all to see?” she said.

Cherry, of course, had a different take, telling the magazine that Edie had run her course: "Edie's already slept with most of the guys on the street and has caused about as many problems as she could." Then he struck where we're sure it hurt: "We will find a new kind of sexiness coming through Wisteria Lane. What I won’t do is cast another fortysomething sexy blonde. [Sheridan] performed the aging neighborhood tramp better than anyone has ever done before.”

Sheridan's last episode as Edie airs Sunday.

-- Denise Martin

Related:
'Desperate Housewives': Neal McDonough says filming Edie's death was horrible

Photo credit: TVGuideMagazine.com

'Desperate Housewives': Neal McDonough says filming Edie's death was 'horrible'

Dave Williams has already done a lot of damage on Wisteria Lane — he framed Lynette’s son for murder, drove Mrs. McClusky nuts and offed his therapist — but what he does on Sunday’s episode of “Desperate Housewives” might be unforgivable.

To  be sure, the show has excused its share of flawed neighbors. Orson ran over Mike and came back still married to Bree, and Edie hooked up with Susan’s and Gabi’s exes but was last seen gossiping with the ladies over coffee. But word around the Web has long confirmed that the revenge-bent widower will dispose of his wife, the oft-almost-killed Edie Britt. And this time, even actress Nicollette Sheridan says Edie will be gone for good.

Series creator Marc Cherry called on actor Neal McDonough to fill Dave’s psychotic shoes, having remembered his performance as an all-too-human alcoholic deputy D.A. in NBC’s short-lived crime drama “Boomtown.” “Dave is this really sweet guy next door and then something tragic happens to him and his personality splits in half. You like Dave and you feel for him, but he also creeps the hell out of you,” McDonough said. “Marc wanted to have the dark side of “Boomtown’s” David McNorris infused in the dark side of David Williams.”

The 43-year-old actor isn’t sure the character can emerge from Sunday’s events but promises the episode will be an emotional doozy. “It’s phenomenal. It’s like a big action movie at times, an intense drama at others. It’ll take a lot out of you.”

'Desperate Housewives': Edie's leaving Wisteria Lane

And this time she'll be gone for good!

"Desperate Housewives" fans might remember that the diabolical blond bombshell Edie, played by Nicollette Sheridan, has been nearly axed from the show not once but twice.

Two seasons ago, Edie tried to hang herself when Carlos left her for Gabrielle, and at the end of last season, she left town after her plan to blackmail Bree backfired and she was blackballed by the women on Wisteria Lane.

But the resilient Edie came back both times. This time will be different.

Spoiler alert! E! reports that Edie will be involved in a car accident after she discovers her husband Dave is planning to kill her. Whether or not the car accident itself is fatal, Edie's doomed.

Sheridan's reps confirmed her departure to "Extra": "Yes, [it’s] confirmed. Nicollette had a great time on the show and is looking forward to her next project.”

No word on when the actress' last episode will air.

-- Denise Martin

Photo: Nicollette Sherican. Credit: Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times