Deadline reports that Marc Cherry, the man behind the former long-running television series Desperate Housewives, will be returning to ABC with a new drama project.

In a decidedly more serious tone than the his previous work, this new series will star Reba McEntire as a Southern woman who has to adjust to change when a stranger rolls into her small town in Kentucky to solve a gruesome crime. The untitled program will deal with such serious issues as race, crime, and also paint a picture as the show becomes a Southern gothic, complete with unique characters and secrets.

Reba McEntire will also be executive producing the show alongside Cherry-Wind Productions, Mindy Schultheis, and Michael Hanel of Acme Productions. The two former executive producers have previously worked with McEntire on other projects, including Reba.

Marc Cherry will serve as a showrunner, writer, and creator. Having come off the recent ending of his series (Devious Maids, which was formerly on the Lifetime channel), Cherry is fully capable of focusing on his newest project and released a statement about his excitement:

“I am thrilled to be coming back home to ABC. What makes it all the sweeter is Reba McEntire is coming with me. And we can’t wait to share with our fans this wonderful Southern Gothic soap opera we’ve been cooking up for them.”