Desperate Housewives has added one new actress to its cast, and promoted the inclusion of another.

First, creator Marc Cherry confirmed to TV Guide that Lois Smith will debut on the fifth episode of the upcoming season in the role of Allison Scavo, Tom's mother.

The woman who played Sookie and Jason's gram on True Blood will move in to help her son deal with a case of male postpartum depression.

Allison is "a very traditional homemaker whose ideas of what women should be to their husbands really smacks right against Lynette's more modern views of womanhood," Cherry told the magazine.

Meanwhile, the show has also released a new promotional photo of the cast, prominently featuring Vanessa Williams in her role of Renee Perry. Check it out below:

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.