Problems with the Law
Everyone is familiar with Mary Alice Young’s narration of the show, but fans may be surprised to hear that wasn’t the name that the show’s creators had in mind. In the original script, Brenda Strong’s character was actually named Mary Alice Scott, but Cherry was forced to change the last name at the last minute.
Teri Hatcher, Brenda Strong, Eva Longoria, and Felicity Huffman. Photo By Jim Smeal/BEI/Shutterstock
“We changed Mary Alice Scott to Mary Alice Young because we couldn’t get the name cleared with our lawyers,” Cherry wrote in the 2005 book, Desperate Housewives: Behind Closed Doors. “If over three people in the country have that name, you’re fine, but with anything less than that, they make you use a different name. Apparently, there was one Mary Alice Scott in the country.”