In the new Lifetime drama series DEVIOUS MAIDS, executive producers Marc Cherry and Eva Longoria hope that lightning will strike twice, making their new series a must-see event for television viewers everywhere. The difference being that whereas their former series DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES focused on the lives of women of means living every day life on Wisteria Lane, this time the focus is on five women who cater to the every day whims of the rich and famous of Beverly Hills. It is the flipside of the good life — and life on the other side of the kitchen door is not easy. It sometimes means taking literal abuse while trying to endure the daily grind of living as a virtual slave to others.
Americans do not like to see ourselves as a class society, but even in a democratic society there are those with have more than their fair share and those who wish they had more: employers and employees, servants and masters, maids and the money-heeled matrons of Beverly Hills. As we know there are always two sides to any relationship, and when there is money at stake, the stakes are even higher.
In the opening minutes of the series, DEVIOUS MAIDS establishes just how much abuse the have-nots are subjected. With billboards and advertisements everywhere proclaiming the blood-dripping word “murder,” it will come as no surprise that someone ends up dead. Right away a lush, beautiful young woman meets a diabolical end – dying spectacularly in her employer’s magnificent home. But the bloodstains are not so easily washed away though; especially when the victim is the maid that leaves no one around to clean up the mess.
In DEVIOUS MAIDS, viewers are taken into the very private lives of four ultra-rich couples and the maids responsible for keeping their well-ordered lives running smoothly and flawlessly clean. Alas, life is never that easy. We shall also see that their indentured help daily strain against society’s constraints and have dreams and ambitions of their own – some as simple as seeing their own children rather than having to put their own lives on hold so their employers can revel in their own excesses.
Mirroring the lives of the filthy-rich Delatours, Powells, Stappords, and Westmores are their maids: Marisol, Rosie, Carmen, Valentina and Ziola. Our heroines may wear uniforms, smell of cleanser, and wear an air of world-weariness about them, but when one of their own is struck down viciously, they band together. Being a maid does not mean they have to martyrs or even scapegoats for the ruthless people they work for.
The new maid who stirs things up is Marisol (Ana Ortiz). Unusually curious about her predecessor’s untimely demise, Marisol sniffs around to unearth what really happened. Murder is so rarely a tidy crime as there are strong passions that lead to such a vile act. So digging into what others want kept secret is dangerous. But Marisol has her own secrets that compel her to search for the truth no matter how risky.
But even murder is just the tip of the iceberg. Everyone has a dirty secret that they fear will be exposed; some as innocent as a young crush or a single-minded ambition, and then there are others who are merely engaged in frivolous affairs. So not all secrets are dark and dangerous, but who is to know who has the darker ones hidden in their closet?
Lifetime’s new series is a delicious look behind the doors of Beverly Hill’s richest patrons. Make a point of taking a peek and getting to know the fiercely independent women who make those mansions glisten and find out just what secrets they may be keeping. 
To see how this murder mystery plays out and what each person is hiding (for better or worse), be sure to tune in for the premiere of DEVIOUS MAIDS on Sunday, June 23rd at 10:00 p.m. on Lifetime (Lifetime Canada).
Tiffany Vogt is the Senior West Coast Editor, contributing as a columnist and entertainment reporter to TheTVaddict.com. She has a great love for television and firmly believes that entertainment is a world of wondrous adventures that deserves to be shared and explored – she invites you to join her. Please feel free to contact Tiffany at Tiffany_Vogt_2000@yahoo.com or follow her at on Twitter (@TVWatchtower).