Dazzling Dixie is the [Marc) Cherry on top on Desperate Housewives...

I'm really enjoying the addition of Dixie Carter to the cast of "Desperate Housewives." Gloria Hodges is no Julia Sugarbaker that is for sure. Anyway, when I wrote up a story on Dixie's guest stint for the Daily News a few weeks ago, i was a bit miffed when ABC could not deliver series creator Marc Cherry for a quick chat. Marc had worked for Dixie as her personal assistant during part of her run on "Designing Women" and had always wanted to get her on the show in some way. I knew they were delivering an exclusive to TV Guide together (Marc and Dixie). So, because I'm wild about both of them, I'll try and be big about it and share some of the conversation with TV Guide's Mary Murphywith the readers of "Out in Hollywood."

It all began when Marc moved to Los Angeles in 1988 to be a writer. "Designing Women" was in its third season and and a friend of the unemployed Cherry said an actress and her husband needed help moving from Bel Air to Hancock Park. The actress was Dixie Carter and the husband was the great Hal Holbrook. Cherry became Carter's assistant and says working for her was funnier than any project he has ever been associated with.

Cherry: "Every morning Dixie would sweep out of her bedroom and make an entrance. I'd say, 'Dixie, I'm the only one HERE.' It didn't matter. That was when I knew she was a star...I remember one day I counted and there were two maids, a yoga instructor, a voice teacher, a chauffer and a cook in the house and I thought I was in the middle of 'Upstairs, Downstairs.'"

On working with his old boss again: "I got very emotional when I introduced Dixie to the cast. I said, 'This was my start in show business.' And I had a momentary feeling like, 'I guess i have come a long way.' Ever since I started 'Desperate Housewives,' I have thought about her a secret weapon.

Carter says she is surprised at the level of Cherry's success: "I knew Marc was talented but I never knew his trajectory was going to be like this. And I never knew he would turn out to give me the best job in show business." She adds that as her personal assistant, Cherry "never got out of sorts with me. He just had a kind of wry, amised look at everything. He used to say my house was like a sitcom because I'm so disorganized."

Cherry says "Mrs. Holbrook" is still the boss: "When I am working with Dixie, the kid gloves are on. I just want to make sure she is happy."