Marc Cherry Isn't Mad About “Real Housewives” Following His “Desperate Housewives”, but Admits, 'I Envy Them' (Exclusive)

So many Housewives, so little time.

Marc Cherry, the creator of Desperate Housewives, spoke exclusively to PEOPLE about the creation of Real Housewives following the success of his ABC show, which aired from 2004 to 2012.

"They didn't crib my name, to be fair to them," he said of the mega-popular Bravo franchise, which began in 2006 in Orange County, Calif. "They just used the word. Our show came out, and they capitalized on that. And you know what? That's the capitalistic system."

Cherry isn't upset about the reality series or the success it garnered, he added.

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The positive byproduct of the reality show perhaps inspired by his fictional one is that he met many celebrities, like Tommy Tune, who confused the two shows.

"Tommy got confused and said, 'Oh, so do you produce all the various cities?' And I looked at him — I had no idea what he was talking about," Cherry said. "And then I realized, 'Oh, you think I created the real-life Housewives franchise?' "

That kind of experience has happened many times now, Cherry shared. The show's creator believes Real Housewives overtook Desperate Housewives because "it continues to be out there" and continues producing new shows.

Cherry noted that he took 16 months to create his pilot episode, but for the rest, he got about eight working days to finish each.

"It's kind of like you've taken a couple swimming lessons, and then they just throw you in the biggest pool ever," he added of the writing process.

Cherry doesn't regret where or how he ended the show — he had a chance to keep Desperate Housewives going, but he felt "the time had come to pull the plug" in 2012. The "distance of time" has since provided him with perspective — why certain choices in the show worked, or why they didn't.

He said that in the event of a reboot, he'd be better at the job the second time around. But there's a lot to consider when thinking about returning to the show, Cherry said.

Related: Desperate Housewives Creator Marc Cherry Has an Idea for a Reboot, but It's Not What You'd Expect (Exclusive)

"The trick for me artistically is — is there still stuff that needs to be said?" he shared. "You know, they always want to move on to the new and the fresh. But if you do a reboot, you have to have a really good artistic reason to do it."

He added, "If I ever dipped my toe in those waters again, I would want to make sure I had a really good reason."

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Though Desperate Housewives was a success in its own right and ended the way he wanted, Cherry said he's a bit jealous of the reality franchise's creators for being able to continue with the shows for so long.

"I envy the fact that they've kept that franchise going," Cherry said, adding, "I certainly envy the good folks who produce that show because it's a train that keeps on chugging. So good for them."

Read the original article on People