‘Desperate’ partying at ABC

ABC showed off its most famous cul-de-sac Sunday night, with a “Desperate Housewives” bash that served up the cast of its naughty ratings juggernaut and allowed guests to mingle on Wisteria Lane, take Polaroid snapshots inside the homes of Gabrielle, Susan, Bree and Mike and get a (yummy) taste of suburban living.

The party capped the two-week press tour of the Television Critics Assn. in Los Angeles but, most important, signaled a new day for the network that seemed perpetually doomed to fourth place in the rankings.

Currently in second place in the race for the most coveted viewers by advertisers -- the 18-to-49-year-old demographic -- ABC went all out on Sunday, matching even the menu with the personalities of its lovable leading ladies played by Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross, Eva Longoria and Nicollette Sheridan. At Gabrielle’s house, there was Latin fare; Bree offered prime rib and other gourmet delights; Susan cooked up her macaroni and cheese; and Lynette, always kids on her mind, introduced pigs-in-a-blanket and mini-cheeseburgers.

Attended by the show’s cast as well as by many of the network’s other leading actors and actresses, producers and the press, the fiesta was a far cry from last summer’s post-press tour fiesta in Century City, where subdued executives expressed hope for new dramas, such as “Desperate Housewives” and “Lost,” but could not be sure if the network’s cross-country promotional campaigns would lead viewers to tune in.

ABC blanketed beaches over Labor Day weekend with messages-in-a-bottle for “Lost.” “Desperate Housewives” and “Lost” now are the top new dramas of the season among all viewers, and the shows are winning critical claim.

But as pleased as he is with his network’s performance, ABC’s president of entertainment, Steve McPherson, conceded that the network is still struggling three nights a week and that the work to rebuild the beleaguered network has only begun.

“I’m obsessed with marketing,” he said at a morning session with reporters. “I think it’s a huge part of what we do. We need to bet on the right people, and when we get the goods, we have to sell it to the American people correctly and effectively. This is show business.”

Three or four shows have given the network “the beginning of a comeback,” he said, but he’s not taking this year’s success for granted.

Looking to the spring, when the network sets its schedule for the fall, McPherson said he is evaluating his comedy shows on Tuesday and Friday nights, which have been lagging in the ratings. “Testosterone Tuesday” -- with sitcoms headed by Jim Belushi, George Lopez and Damon Wayans -- and the T.G.I.F. brand have struggled all season.

With “Everybody Loves Raymond” going off the air in May, McPherson said it will be almost impossible to create another show centered on a nuclear family. Instead, he intends to go after sitcoms with a broader appeal and other types of comedies. This spring, ABC will premiere “Jake in Progress,” a single-camera comedy that uses split screens and other stylish devices and stars John Stamos.

“We’re not one hit away,” he said. “We have three or four shows that have given us the beginning of a comeback, if you will. We try to build off things.”