ABC's upcoming Mistresses may not actually have any major concrete connections with Desperate Housewives, but the parallels are obvious, given that they're both dark series about unhappy female friends struggling with their relationships. I'm not sure whether the series will be an upgrade or a downgrade of Desperate Housewives in its quality (though it won't have to work hard to beat the series finale), Mistresses has certainly inspired me to check in on how the working actors of Desperate Housewives are getting along. Basically, what I've learned is this: Either join the cast of Mad Men, land a starring role of Dallas or live in TV purgatory:

1) "The Simpsons," Lisa Simpson-- Lisa's convictions are strongly leftist. She is a vegetarian and has expressed a desire to become a vegan. Lisa also joined the animal rights group PETA.

2) "Friends," Phoebe Buffay -- Portrayed by Lisa Kudrow, Phoebe is somewhat of a champion of animal rights and the environment. She is a vegetarian and doesn't eat "food with a face. She is against the wearing of fur coats, and cries when flowers die.

3) "Green Acres," Oliver Wendell Douglas -- Oliver was a New York City attorney who had a dream of moving to the Midwest and operating a farm rather than practicing law. He didn't adjust well to farm life, not for lacking of trying though. The show concentrated on farming, growing your own crops, and caring for animals.

4) "All in the Family," Gloria and Michael Stivic -- Portrayed by Sally Struthers and Rob Reiner, they shared liberal political beliefs. An example of this is when Michael got arrested for a nude protest at a nuclear power plant.

5) "Ellen DeGeneres Show," Ellen -- Ellen is a big animal activist and lover of the environment. On her show she often refers to the hybrid car she drives and tries to get as many pets adopted as possible.