BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — When does a weird, way-out-there show like "Lost" influence a soapy suburban serial like "Desperate Housewives"? When the creator of the soapy show is desperately looking for something to shake things up.

As Marc Cherry watched the mind-blowing flash-forward device that culminated the third season of "Lost," a light bulb went off in his head. It was just the kind of storytelling ploy he thought he needed to jump-start his series.

"I was so impressed with the bold stroke (they) had done," Cherry said during the TV critics summer press tour. "I felt the soap (on "Housewives") had really started to build up, and I kind of wanted to pare down to where everyone's problems were small but very relatable."

And so, in a stunning finish to last season, the women of Wisteria Lane were beamed five years into the future: Bree (Marcia Cross), back with Orson, is a Martha Stewart-like mogul. Lynette (Felicity Huffman) learns that one of her sons has been jailed. Susan (Teri Hatcher) has moved beyond Mike for a new beau (Gale Harold). Gaby (Eva Longoria Parker), now frumpy, has two daughters.

"I was originally going to do an eight-year jump, but then when someone explained to me how the actresses would react to the idea that they were eight years older, I thought maybe five," Cherry said with a sly smile. "Maybe I could get away with five."

How did the cast react when they learned they would be time-tripping?

"I was excited because I felt like it was a reset button and we got to really start from scratch and explore more things specifically for my character and all of us," said Longoria Parker, flanked onstage by all of her still-lovely co-stars.

"I think it's great," Hatcher added. "It's giving all the characters an opportunity to be something that they haven't been."

Season 5, returning Sept. 28, will explore where those characters are in their lives and how they got there, via flashbacks. Also, look for the return of Edie (Nicollette Sheridan), as well as a new neighbor named Dave (Neal McDonough), who will ignite the season's new mystery.

Obviously, the most altered main character — at least physically — will be Gaby, who loses her petite, former model's body and puts on the pounds. Was it difficult for Longoria Parker to surrender the glamour? She claims it wasn't.

"I love it, because I come into hair and makeup now and it's like 10 minutes instead of two hours," she said. "I wake up and go straight to set."

Perhaps making it easier to love it is the fact that the frumpiness won't last all season. About seven or eight episodes in, she will get back her glam bod, for reasons that are pretty humorous, according to Cherry.

Meanwhile, looking ahead into his own future, Cherry claims that he wants to pull the plug on the show after seven seasons.

"I love my baby. I love working with these gals, but the idea of letting anyone else take the show from me kind of makes me sad and sick to my stomach," he said, before pausing and adding:

"Of course, this could be some clever ruse on my part to get tremendous amounts of money in Season 8, but who knows?"