LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- ABC has pushed the premieres of its new Sunday dramas "Desperate Housewives" and "Boston Legal" back a week, as the pair will now launch on Sunday, October 3.

The news was announced via press release this morning:

"DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES" AND "BOSTON LEGAL" TO PREMIERE SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3, ON THE ABC TELEVISION NETWORK

ABC has re-scheduled the premieres of two of its new drama series, "Desperate Housewives" and "Boston Legal," for SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3. "Desperate Housewives" will premiere 9:00-10:00 p.m., ET, with "Boston Legal" following, from 10:00-11:00 p.m., ET.

A primetime soap with a truly contemporary take on "happily every after," "Desperate Housewives" takes a darkly comedic look at suburbia, where the secret lives of housewives aren't always what they seem.

Looking down on her friends and family isn't a way of life for Mary Alice Young... it's a way of death. One day, in her perfect house, in the loveliest of suburbs, Mary Alice ended it all. Now she's taking us into the lives of her family, friends and neighbors, commenting from her elevated P.O.V.

"Desperate Housewives" stars Teri Hatcher as Susan Mayer, Felicity Huffman as Lynette Scavo, Marcia Cross as Bree Van De Kamp, Eva Longoria as Gabrielle Solis, James Denton as Mike Delfino, Nicollette Sheridan as Edie Britt, Steven Culp as Rex Van De Camp, Mark Moses as Paul Young, Ricardo Antonio Chavira as Carlos Solis, Cody Kasch as Zach Young, Andrea Bowen as Julie Mayer, Jesse Metcalfe as John and Brenda Strong as Mary Alice Young.

Marc Cherry ("The Golden Girls") is executive producer and creator of the series. Michael Edelstein ("Threat Matrix") and Tom Spezialy ("The District," "Ed") are executive producers, Kevin Murphy ("Reefer Madness") is co-executive producer and Charles Pratt Jr., ("Melrose Place," "General Hospital") is consulting producer of the series, from Touchstone Television.

In "Boston Legal," Alan Shore and Denny Crane lead a brigade of high-priced civil litigators in an upscale Boston law firm in a series focusing on the professional and personal lives of brilliant but often emotionally challenged attorneys. Joining Shore and Crane is Brad Chase, a consummate guy's guy, who recently headed up the Washington, DC office and has been recruited to Boston to keep an eye on loose cannon senior partner Denny Crane. He also finds himself in an unending test of wills with fellow attorney Alan Shore. Fast-paced and darkly comedic, the series will confront social and moral issues, and the pursuit of happiness and money, with varying degrees of priority.

"Boston Legal" stars James Spader as Alan Shore, Mark Valley as Brad Chase, Rhona Mitra as Tara Wilson, Lake Bell as Sally Heep and William Shatner as Denny Crane.

"Boston Legal" was created by David E. Kelley. Kelley, Bill D'Elia, Scott Kaufer and Jeff Rake are executive producers. The series is produced by David E. Kelley Productions in association with Twentieth Century Fox Television.

In addition, ABC has confirmed the guest appearances of Freddie Prinze, Jr. and Elizabeth Mitchell on "Boston Legal":

FREDDIE PRINZE, JR. TO GUEST STAR IN A TWO-EPISODE ARC OF ABC'S NEW DRAMA, "BOSTON LEGAL"

Elizabeth Mitchell ("The Lyon's Den," "ER") Will Also Guest Star in Two Episodes

Freddie Prinze, Jr. ("I Know What You Did Last Summer," "Scooby Doo") will guest-star in a two-episode arc of the new ABC Television Network drama, "Boston Legal," from multiple award-winning producer David E. Kelley. Prinze will play Donny Crane, Denny Crane's underachieving but relentlessly good-natured son who, in spite of being long ignored by his father, has somehow inherited his unconventional gift for lawyering, though he operates from a suburban storefront office.

In addition, Elizabeth Mitchell ("The Lyon's Den," "ER") will guest-star in two episodes, playing Christine Pauley, Alan Shore's ex-lover who was institutionalized for attempted murder and whom he is now representing at a hearing for her release.

Alan Shore and Denny Crane lead a brigade of high-priced civil litigators in an upscale Boston law firm in a series focusing on the professional and personal lives of brilliant but often emotionally challenged attorneys. Joining Shore and Crane is Brad Chase, a consummate guy's guy, who recently headed up the Washington, D.C. office, and has been recruited to Boston to keep an eye on loose cannon senior partner Denny Crane. He also finds himself in an unending test of wills with fellow attorney Alan Shore. Fast-paced and darkly comedic, the series will confront social and moral issues, and the pursuit of happiness and money, with varying degrees of priority. "Boston Legal" premieres on SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3 (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

"Boston Legal" stars James Spader as Alan Shore, Mark Valley as Brad Chase, Rhona Mitra as Tara Wilson, Lake Bell as Sally Heep and William Shatner as Denny Crane.

"Boston Legal" was created by David E. Kelley. Kelley, Bill D'Elia, Scott Kaufer and Jeff Rake are executive producers. The series is produced by David E. Kelley Productions in association with Twentieth Century Fox Television.