LOS ANGELES -- The "Desperate Housewives" might be forced out of Wisteria Lane soon. ABC and the long-running primetime soap's producers are contemplating making the series' upcoming eighth season its last, the New York Post reported Wednesday.
The decision could be made within the next few weeks -- in time for next month's Television Critics Association press tour -- which would give creator Marc Cherry and executive producer Bob Daily plenty of time to pull out all the stops for a last hurrah this season instead of dragging things out, according to TVGuide.com.
An ABC spokesperson told the Post that "no decision has been made yet, it seems like people are just guessing."
But, one insider told TVGuide.com, "It's all dependent on the ratings. It will be up against some stiff competition."
This fall, "Housewives" will have to fight for its audience against CBS' newly relocated "The Good Wife." Assuming everything works out between NFL owners and players, the show will also have to fend off interference from NBC's Sunday Night Football coverage.
It is possible that ABC will wait to see how its slate of new series will fare and whether "Housewives" succumbs to another ratings drop before deciding to end the series, says TVGuide.com.
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"Housewives" came in as the 24th most-watched show of the 2010-2011 season according to Nielsen -- a significant drop from its No. 4 standing during its first and second seasons.
If a number of new series don't become hits, it is said that ABC will likely attempt to eke out one more season of "Housewives."
ABC has contract options on original series stars Marcia Cross, Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman and Eva Longoria that would take them through a potential ninth season. Creator Cherry's own "Housewives" contract takes him through 2013, too.
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