Marc Cherry

As a writer and producer for "The Golden Girls" (NBC, 1985-1992) and the creator of the spin-off "Golden Palace" (CBS, 1992-93), writer-showrunner Marc Cherry seemed well on his way to a long and fruitful career. But after a string of commercial flops, which included short-lived series like "The Five Mrs. Buchanans" (CBS, 1994-95) and "Some of My Best Friends" (CBS, 2000-01), Cherry's career hit the skids, which was exacerbated by his former agent embezzling tens of thousands of dollars. Penniless and forced to borrow money from his mother, Cherry made one final attempt to score a hit and struck gold when he created the wildly successful "Desperate Housewives" (ABC, 2004-12). Part comedy, part soap opera and part mystery, the show - which he later stated was greatly inspired by his mother - stood atop the ratings during its first few seasons, attracting millions of viewers with every episode, broad critical acclaim, numerous awards and even a small amount of controversy. Despite his failures over the years, Cherry finally had not only a major hit, but created a cultural touchstone destined to be long remembered.