Julie Benz debuted as a guest star on “Desperate Housewives” on Jan. 31 – and her guest arc is already being extended.

According to Zap2It.com, a TV news Web site, the ex-“Dexter” star was originally signed on for three episodes but will stay longer on Wisteria Lane.

“We’ve been enjoying (Benz) so much,” said Bob Daily, executive producer of “Desperate Housewives.” “We’ve extended her at least one more episode and possibly more beyond that.”

Benz, playing a stripper named Robin who yearns to learn, guilted her way into Susan’s (Teri Hatcher) life and then her home. But Benz won’t be sticking around Susan’s place much longer – she’s moving in on Katherine (Dana Delany).

“Robin will be getting into a friendship,” Daily says, “that maybe turns into more than a friendship with Katherine. Katherine has had kind of a rough year, and I think she’s open to new experiences. She’s had a rough time with men. It’s going to be a sort of twisty and turny conflicted relationship for her, I think.”

As for Delany, she and Benz are longtime friends and “she’s really thrilled and enjoying the storyline,” Daily says.

Fox hit back to hot season

“So You Think You Can Dance” will go back to airing in the summertime after a fall run resulted in lower ratings.

Season 7 of the dancing competition starts May 27.

The fall finale of the Fox series, hosted by Cat Deeley, drew 7.1 million viewers, down from the Season 5 summer finale of 7.8 million viewers (at the time, a 6 percent growth over the summer before).

Auditions are under way; judges will be in Chicago on March 18.