SPOILER ALERT: The end of Desperate Housewives

Desperate Housewives is coming to an end and the last episode of series eight of the US drama is set to be broadcast in the States over the weekend.

The last episode sees Renee (Vanessa Williams) preparing for her wedding day and everything seems to be in order, however Julie (Andrea Bowen) throws a spanner in the works and sends Renee, her mum Susan (Terri Hatcher) and neighbour Gabby (Eva Longoria) into a panic when her waters break as they travel to the ceremony.

Will they make it to the church on time, or is a hospital visit on the cards?

We can hardly wait for the series finale to hit screens in the UK, but for now, US writer Mekeisha Madden Toby takes a look at the show's history...

For many female fans, Desperate Housewives is like the fun and sexy college roommate who started off as a best friend, but slowly went insane. It wasn't always that way. In the beginning, Desperate Housewives entertained us with scintillating, watercooler-worthy story lines that kept us glued to the screen. It was a show that boasted a cast made up mostly of women in their 40s, and they were a hoot to watch and filled with angst and desires that fans understood.

Over time, all the murders, lies and automobile hit-and-runs and casualties - seriously, who is giving these people driver's licenses? - took a toll, and the show's credibility and believability were nowhere to be found. For proof, just take a glance at the ratings in the US. In the nighttime's soap's first season, some 23 million people tuned in every week.

Now, during the show's eighth and final season -it all comes to an end on Sunday, May 13, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on

ABC in the US - Susan (Teri Hatcher) and the gang barely pull in 10 million viewers. But for those diehard fans, the girl we all knew and loved is still in there ... somewhere.

She even has copycats. That's right: If not for Desperate Housewives, Bravo's moneymaking Real Housewivesfranchise wouldn't exist. Besides, Desperate Housewives used to be an Emmy award-winning show that helped make ABC a competitive network again. The problems started when the series stopped being a drama with soapy elements and became a soap with dramatic elements.

The good old days

Remember when Desperate Housewives was fun? Susan was a loveable klutz and divorced mum who just wanted to raise her daughter and find love. Bree (Marcia Cross) was the perfect homemaker, the wife and mum who bested her friends at domesticity and made it look easy. Lynette (Emmy winner Felicity Huffman) was a working wife and mum who tried to have it all but failed most days, and Gabrielle (Eva Longoria) was the trophy wife. She got it on with the gardener boy when her husband was too busy working to give her the time of day. And Edie (Nicollette Sheridan), well, she was the neighbourhood harlot and sometimes she sold real estate.

Those were the good old days of Wisteria Lane, when the biggest mysteries were why Mary Alice (Brenda Strong) killed herself and who blackmailed her. Meanwhile, her creepy widower, Paul (Mark Moses), was the bad guy of the cul-de-sac, and he was good at it.

The problems, like the mysteries, were simpler then, too. Lynette popped pills to stay energetic, Gaby cheated on her husband and Bree's late husband Rex (Steven Culp) cheated on her with hookers.

The Kool-Aid started to get bitter and the ratings started to slip in the show's second season with the introduction of Betty Applewhite (Alfre Woodard). Seriously, she had her son, a grown man, locked in her basement. Who thought that would be a smart plot twist? Sadly, the plots just got sloppier and sillier with each season.

When things fell apart

Sure, there have been glimmers of hope. The tornado in Season four was brilliant, as was the addition of Katherine Mayfair (Dana Delany) and Paul's wicked return. Lynette's battle with cancer and Gaby's miscarriage were also pathos-filled touchstones that made the show stronger. But for every step forward, there were two steps back.

Edie's death, the five-year flash forward, Carlos' (Ricardo Chavira) blindness, Bree's fake pregnancy, and the

accidental death of a mother and daughter at the hands of Susan and Mike (James Denton) sans legal consequence were just a few story blunders in a long list of head-scratching bouts with lunacy.

Carlos even killed a man. Sure, he was a bad man (Gaby's unhinged stepfather who sexually abused her, played by guest star Tony Plana), but still. Does jail time exist on this show? Mike's death was also a blow. Why kill him off before the show goes off the air? Wasn't he Susan's soul mate?

Susan is the show, and the show is Susan

Speaking of Susan, she, like the show, used to be fun and relatable. But with every season, Susan became less likeable and more pitiful. By the time she started doing housework in her lingerie on the Internet for money in Season seven, Susan had become a caricature.

To be fair, Susan isn't the only character that devolved. Lynette, too, has become harder and harder to recognise. The shift began with her emotional affair in Season three and came full circle when Renee (Vanessa Williams) returned in her life. Lynette's split with Tom (Doug Savant) was also a downer and a ratings killer.

The bright side

In the end, making a TV show a hit and keeping it a hit is hard work. Because of this, fans and critics alike have to give kudos to creator Marc Cherry for crafting a show that celebrated women over 40 and made TV better. What other show can boast a guest-star roster that includes Carol Burnett and Dixie Carter?

Best of all, Susan, Lynette, Bree and Gabrielle are the girlfriends we love no matter what. They are flawed, but they are also beautiful, smart, sexy, and they love their families. Sure, there has been more than a fair share of ridiculous moments, but those moments don't eclipse the impact Desperate Housewives has made.

We'll miss you, ladies.