IF YOU'RE thinking the flash-forward in the season finale of ABC's "Desperate Housewives" was a little confusing, imagine what it might be like for the actresses who, come fall, will all be playing characters five years older than they were last season.

In a session earlier this month during the Television Critics Association's summer meetings in Beverly Hills, Calif., the "housewives" - Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross, Eva Longoria Parker, Dana Delany and Nicollette Sheridan - all seemed publicly supportive of the idea, if maybe a little subdued.

Or that might just have been their proximity to "Desperate's" creator, Marc Cherry, a hilariously fast-talking writer who's been known to suck the air out of hotel ballrooms.

That night, at an ABC party, I asked Hatcher what being five years older would mean for Susan Mayer, whose tendency to be accident-prone has been as much a part of her character a certain fastidiousness has been to Cross' Bree.

Hatcher, after questioning my description of Susan as "a bit of a klutz," turned to Bob Daily, one of the show's executive producers. "This the second time I've been asked this, and I think it's intriguing," she said, pointing to me.

"She said that I have always been like a comedic character on the show," and wondered whether she'd still be as funny in the coming season, Hatcher said.

"I think people are asking this," she said.

"A lot of people, I think, say they are tired of it, I don't know," added Hatcher, not identifying those "people" (who, I'm now guessing, might include some of the people writing the show).

"You don't have to worry, because Teri's a brilliant physical comedian . . . and that's something we don't ever want to lose," Daily said.

Hatcher, who's reportedly suffered at least two injuries on the set of "Housewives," one stunt-related, seemed relieved.

"I can still fall down the stairs like nobody's business," she said.

She wants her MTV

Anne Archer, who'll play a cosmetics mogul and grandmother on the CW's "Privileged" starting Sept. 9, isn't necessarily the person MTV execs think of when they're choosing shows.

But the actress who famously played Michael Douglas' wronged wife in "Fatal Attraction" - and Danny DeVito's ex in "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" - has a not-so-dirty little secret.

"You're going to laugh," she told me at a network party in Los Angeles earlier this month, "but my favorite show to watch at night, before I go to sleep, is 'Run's House,' " the MTV series about rapper Joseph "Reverend Run" Simmons and his family.

Why?

"Because I love him! And I love his family. I laugh out loud, and I think it has a really positive message."

Most "reality" shows, Archer said, "are about dishing and destroying . . . and this guy's an amazing father and member of his family and totally hip, and you love everybody in the show."

She found it "by accident one night," Archer said. "My husband and I sat in bed and watched it and said, 'This is really fun!' and then we decided we've got to TiVo this, and we watch it every night . . . You want to feel good before you go to sleep, watch this show - you'll feel great."

'Root of All Evil's' back

No one - with the possible exception of Andy Rooney - wants to be an old fart on television these days, old farts being, by definition, out of the "target demo," i.e., over 50, and quite possibly even dead.

Fortunately, no one's told the star of "Lewis Black's Root of All Evil," which returns tonight (10:30, Comedy Central) for a second season of Lewis' angry-old-fart act.

Black, who only has one volume setting, a level that might actually hurt the ears of the younger people Comedy Central most wants to attract, would easily be my favorite TV judge if I watched TV judge shows (which I don't), if only because he doesn't appear to care any more than I do about the problems people who want to be on television might be having with their hairdressers, angry ex-boyfriends or landlords.

Instead, on "Root of All Evil," he's tackling the big issues, like which is worse, Disney or Scientology? Steroids or boob jobs? Or, as he asks tonight, Ultimate Fighting or bloggers?

There's nothing particularly original in his takedown of either, but as the guy sticking a pin into pop culture, hoping to hear it, um, pop, Black's noise stands out from the rest.

HBO stops feeling 'Love'

It's a network's prerogative to change its mind, and that's what HBO has done regarding "Tell Me You Love Me," reports Variety, which says the second season of the graphic show about couples therapy won't be happening, after all. *

Send e-mail to graye@phillynews.com.