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The cast and creator of ABC’s midseason dramedy GCB took the stage at the Television Critics Association’s winter press tour on Tuesday, and immediately used the opportunity to dispel any misconceptions that this new primetime sudser (which premieres Sunday, March 4 at 10/9c) is the second coming of that other female-centric soap, Desperate Housewives.
“If we have the run that Desperate Housewives had, the angels have sung!” GCB‘s leading lady Leslie Bibb said, excitedly. “That would be amazing! But really where [the two shows are] similar is that we’re both stories about a group of women. So, if you’re expecting Desperate Housewives, I don’t know if we’re very much like that.”
Showrunner Robert Harling echoed Bibbs sentiments, stating, “To be compared to a show that’s one of the biggest hits in television, that’s maintained its point of view… yeah, I would love to eventually be compared to that. But right now, if you just look at the two shows, the fabulous thing about Desperate Housewives is that it’s universal and the dynamic could be happening everywhere. And the fabulous thing about what these [GCB] actors do is create a world that is very specific.
“Our world can only take place in Texas, and only in Dallas, and only in a specific part of Dallas,” he added.
To Harling’s credit, Bibb claimed to have never seen “a show like this on television. Robert’s done something really special here.”
While GCB is attempting to veer away from the Housewives comparisons, there is one show cast member Annie Potts isn’t afraid to emulate. “If you like Designing Women, you’re gonna love this,” the former Designing Woman said.