Was the Controversial 'Devious Maids' Successful?

Seems there is such a thing as bad press. After weeks of stirring up controversy for reinforcing stereotypes, Lifetime's Devious Maids premiered... and didn't quite clean up.

The series, which is created by Desperate Housewives' Marc Cherry and stars Ugly Betty's Ana Ortiz, attracted just 2 million viewers. Not bad for a cable network, but not so good for a network who is used to hovering in the 3 million figure with hits like The Client List.

The series, which also comes courtesy of Housewives star Eva Longoria, was the subject of much chatter surrounding its concept. Detractors felt the series undermined Latina women — featuring them in a position of servitude to exclusively white Beverly Hills elite — while others applauded the show's effort to put diverse women in starring roles.

Unfortunately, seems Devious Maids could have afforded louder applause.

Image: Lifetime