'Desperate Housewives' to end

ABC said on Sunday it is ending 'Desperate Housewives' when the current, eighth season wraps up, sending the popular ladies of Wisteria Lane packing into TV history.

ABC's announcement to television critics confirmed reports that surfaced in the media late last week.

"Desperate Housewives," which stars Felicity Huffman, Teri Hatcher, Marcia Cross and Eva Longoria among its ensemble cast, tells of the secretive lives and loves of women residing among the not-so-quiet confines of Wisteria Lane, a suburban street.

The show was hugely popular after it first began airing in 2004, winning numerous awards and gaining audiences overseas. But as with all TV shows, its popularity has waned as the show has aged.

"Season Eight of 'Desperate Housewives' will roll out in a way that is accessible even to viewers who may have lapsed in their viewing, and be all the richer and more rewarding to the series' loyal fans," ABC said in a statement.

For this last season, ending in May 2012, ABC promises much intrigue for the main characters including guilty feelings about a murder and problems with disintegrating marriages, love affairs and sexy new neighbors.