"Pilot" is the first episode of the American dramedy-mystery series Desperate Housewives. It premiered on October 3, 2004, on the ABC network. It was written by series creator Marc Cherry and directed by Charles McDougall. The pilot introduces the residents of the suburban neighborhood of Wisteria Lane. Following the suicide of an outwardly successful neighbor, her friends begin to deal with the problems in their personal lives. Susan Mayer competes for the attention of a new plumber who has moved across the street; Bree Van de Kamp struggles with her failing marriage and ungrateful family; Gabrielle Solis continues an affair with her sixteen-year-old gardener; and Lynette Scavo copes with life as a stay-at-home mother of four.

Wisteria Lane is the name of a fictional street at the center of U.S. television drama series Desperate Housewives. Desperate Housewives storylines primarily center on the residents of the street. The set for Wisteria Lane is located inside Universal Studios Hollywood, and is actually named Colonial Street, an area that has been used for many motion pictures and television shows. Other film and television productions in which Colonial Street has featured include the original Leave It to Beaver series, Gremlins, The 'Burbs, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.