{"id":47590,"date":"2023-10-21T13:00:57","date_gmt":"2023-10-21T13:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2023\/10\/21\/inside-the-real-housewives-renaissance\/"},"modified":"2023-10-21T13:00:57","modified_gmt":"2023-10-21T13:00:57","slug":"inside-the-real-housewives-renaissance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2023\/10\/21\/inside-the-real-housewives-renaissance\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside the \u2018Real Housewives\u2019 Renaissance"},"content":{"rendered":"


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It was a different scene for Real Housewives of New York City<\/em><\/a> alums Luann de Lesseps<\/strong><\/a> and Sonja Morgan<\/strong><\/a> when they arrived in Benton, Illinois, to film their spinoff series, Luann & Sonja: Welcome to Crappie Lake<\/em><\/a>. After years of private jets and luxury yachts, the duo found themselves in an unairconditioned sedan, driving sans chauffeur to the Benton Motel, a one-story lodge without any of the charm of the Hamptons hideaways to which they\u2019re accustomed. Would these two city slickers crash and burn once they left the Upper East Side<\/a>?<\/p>\n

The answer, shockingly, was no. De Lesseps and Morgan started to fit right in within days, engaging in all kinds of activities you absolutely can\u2019t do in Manhattan: mudding (off-roading in a mini monster truck), bull-testicle eating (what it sounds like) and noodling (catfish hunting with your bare or possibly gloved hands).<\/p>\n

The surprisingly heartwarming Crappie Lake<\/em> became an instant hit with fans and even critics, who don\u2019t normally pay much attention to Bravo\u2019s wares. New York<\/em> magazine called it \u201cthe best show on Bravo\u201d in July. TIME<\/em>, meanwhile, hailed it as a \u201ccaptivating comedic masterpiece\u201d and a \u201crefreshingly conflict-free return to form.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s that last notion that seems to have proliferated across the Housewives<\/em> universe of late, a welcome respite following a few years where the shows had turned relentlessly grim. After the coronavirus pandemic made filming extraordinarily complicated, some of the franchise\u2019s brightest stars were hit with serious legal allegations<\/a>. Erika Jayne<\/strong><\/a> of Beverly Hills<\/em><\/a> was accused of embezzling money from families of plane crash victims (she\u2019s in the clear for now), while Salt Lake City<\/em>\u2019s Jen Shah<\/strong><\/a> was arrested for wire fraud<\/a> (she\u2019s in jail for the next six years).<\/p>\n

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\n Luann de Lesseps, Sonja Morgan.<\/span> Nick Fochtman\/E! Entertainment<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Housewives<\/em> has always trafficked in these women\u2019s woes \u2014 see any number of messy divorces and Teresa Giudice<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s 2012 prison stint \u2014 but to many fans, these developments felt different. Ripping off the IRS is one thing, but allegedly scamming retirees and plane crash victims is quite another.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of our shows have gotten very dark in the past few seasons, and it\u2019s not that surprising,\u201d says Sevin Cavusoglu<\/strong>, senior vice president of unscripted content at NBCUniversal. \u201cThese dynamics have been going on for 15, 16, 17 seasons. It\u2019s good to counter that with some Crappie Lake<\/em> silliness.\u201d<\/p>\n

Across the Housewives<\/em> board, much of the action has gotten a lot more low-stakes. During RHONY<\/em>\u2019s first season with an all-new cast, the biggest blowups involved a prank war gone wrong and the question of whether it\u2019s weird to serve a cheese plate<\/a> at a house party. Over on Salt Lake City<\/em>, which in season 2 featured an actual FBI raid, the gals are having it out<\/a> over whether Meredith Marks<\/strong><\/a> should have invited Angie Katsanevas<\/strong><\/a> to her Palm Springs getaway<\/a> \u2014 and whether Angie should have crashed the trip when she didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\tRelated: <\/span>Meet Us Weekly’s Top 10 Reality Stars of the Year<\/a>
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\n\t\t\tIf you hadn\u2019t heard of Ariana Madix before this year, you definitely have now. Already a beloved star of Bravo\u2019s long-running Real Housewives of Beverly Hills spinoff, Vanderpump Rules, she became a household name this past spring after uncovering her boyfriend\u2019s infidelity with her best friend \u2014 both Pump Rules costars. Madix was cheered for [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Cavusoglu points to the RHONY<\/em>\u2019s women\u2019s fight over a bleeped-out restaurant<\/a> (later confirmed to be fading Manhattan hotspot Catch) as the perfect example of what embodies this current era of Housewives<\/em>. \u201cIn a way, it\u2019s a throwback to OG RHONY<\/em>, because I feel like those are the conversations that Luann used to have \u2014 etiquette and where you won\u2019t be seen, where you need to be seen and where you want to go,\u201d Cavusoglu explains. \u201cThere\u2019s just something so fresh, yet familiar about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The RHONY<\/em> revival represents one of the biggest swings Bravo has taken in years. After a lackluster season 13 that was so poorly received it didn\u2019t even get a reunion \u2014 a depressing Housewives<\/em> first \u2014 the network decided to wipe the slate clean and reboot the franchise in another first. Some viewers were angry to see favorites Morgan and de Lesseps swept out like so much trash after a roaring \u201920s party. Others theorized that executives overhauled the cast rather than fire controversial OG cast member Ramona Singer<\/strong><\/a>, whose fights with RHONY<\/em>\u2019s first Black Housewife, Eboni K. Williams<\/strong><\/a>, crossed the line from thought-provoking to offensive. (A source told Us<\/em> in October 2021 that Bravo launched an investigation after a crew member and Williams accused Singer of making racially insensitive comments. \u201cFor the first one filed by the crew member, the findings were corroborated,\u201d the insider said at the time<\/a>. \u201c[For] the second one filed by Eboni, the findings were not corroborated.\u201d)<\/p>\n

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\n Brynn Whitfield, Erin Lichy, Sai De Silva, Jenna Lyons, Jessel Taank, Ubah Hassan.<\/span> Gavin Bond\/Bravo<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bravo eventually confirmed that Morgan, de Lesseps, Singer and three other \u201clegacy\u201d Housewives would participate in an all-RHONY<\/em> season<\/a> of Peacock original Ultimate Girls Trip<\/em>, but fans remained skeptical of the new cast, which Andy Cohen<\/strong><\/a> announced at BravoCon<\/a> in October 2022. It didn\u2019t help that one of the new stars, Lizzy Savetsky<\/strong>, quit during filming. \u201cThe beginning was scary,\u201d Cavusoglu admits. \u201cEven within Bravo, there were a lot of skeptics because people are so loyal to the OGs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Within a few weeks of the show\u2019s July premiere, though, the tide of public opinion had turned. Bravo stan accounts were fully on board, while legacy media outlets couldn\u2019t stop gushing over bona fide fashion legend Jenna Lyons<\/strong><\/a> (the former fashion director of J.Crew who revitalized the brand in the early 2010s) emerging as the mysterious and refined elder stateswoman<\/a> of the cast. Still other fans were pleased to see Brynn Whitfield<\/strong><\/a> and Sai De Silva<\/strong><\/a> speak honestly about their difficult childhoods in unusually moving moments.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\tRelated: <\/span>Us Weekly’s Top 23 Reality TV Moments of the Year<\/a>
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\n\t\t\tIn honor of Us Weekly\u2019s first-ever Reality TV Stars of the Year issue, we\u2019re rounding up the moments that had Us shook in 2023. As the year of Scandoval, it was no-brainer to name Ariana Madix the No. 1 spot\u00a0\u2014 and give the jaw-dropping, three-part Vanderpump Rules reunion a spot on the list. Thank You! [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cI\u2019m beyond thrilled,\u201d Ryan Flynn<\/strong>, senior vice president of current production at NBCUniversal, says of the show\u2019s reception. \u201cThe RHONY<\/em> audience has been one of the most passionate and most vocal and probably most strident in their love. Love to watch, hate to watch, love to hate-watch \u2014 all of it, but very vocal. It was not surprising when we were met with skepticism.\u201d<\/p>\n

By fall, the skepticism had melted away and been replaced with fierce debates about favorite Housewives<\/a> and the ethics of gifting friends your sponsored products. \u201cVery honestly, I feel very elated and vindicated in a way that we got to show everyone, \u2018Give us a chance,\u2019\u201d says Cavusoglu. \u201cWe love and respect this show just as much as you all do. We\u2019re not going to steer you wrong, and we want to do right by RHONY<\/em>\u2019s legacy.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n Emily Simpson, Gina Kirschenheiter, Heather Dubrow, Tamra Judge, Shannon Storms Beador, Jennifer Pedranti.<\/span> Andrew Eccles\/Bravo<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A similar trajectory took place on Orange County<\/em><\/a>, the 17-year-old workhorse of the Housewives<\/em> firmament and the one that started at all. Fans were again skeptical when Tamra Judge<\/strong><\/a> announced her return to the series in summer 2022, as a returning cast member usually spells doom for fresh ideas. In this case, though, Judge\u2019s splashy homecoming added a much-needed jolt of low-stakes drama. With the addition of newbie Jennifer Pedranti<\/strong><\/a> and former Beverly Hills<\/em> star Taylor Armstrong<\/strong><\/a>, season 17 proved there was still plenty of juice in the orange.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a bit stale. We were kind of stumbling around for a bit,\u201d says RHOC<\/em> star Gina Kirschenheiter<\/strong><\/a>, who joined the show<\/a> in season 13. \u201cThis year, everything clicked into place, because there was just good synergy with this cast. Whether we were really happy and having fun or really angry and having issues, it was real.\u201d<\/p>\n

Flynn, who first started working on RHOC<\/em> in season 6, agrees. For season 17, producers decided to change \u201ceverything\u201d \u2014 the graphics, the opening, the theme song, the showrunner. \u201cAfter the last season where it felt like, \u2018God, we\u2019re just not moving the needle enough,\u2019 we knew we needed to take \u2014 in Dorinda [Medley\u2019s]<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0words \u2014 a pause and not get right back on the same sort of schedule,\u201d Flynn says.<\/p>\n

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\n Nicole Martin, Guerdy Abraira, Lisa Hochstein, Julia Lemigova, Alexia Nepola, Larsa Pippen.<\/span> Gizelle Hernandez\/Stephanie Diani\/Bravo<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For Flynn, a full-on break in filming is the first step when a franchise needs a shakeup. In the case of The Real Housewives of Miami<\/em><\/a>, that break lasted a full 10 years, but the decision to revive the show seems to be paying off. After two seasons that streamed exclusively on Peacock, Bravo will be airing season 6 on linear TV starting November 1. Among fans, there\u2019s talk of Miami<\/em> being the strongest entry across all the Housewives<\/em> cities right now. This is thanks in part to plenty of kooky drama \u2014 arguing over Brazilian butt lifts at a dog\u2019s birthday party \u2014 but also the real, relatable experiences these women are having. Viewers saw the shocking breakdown<\/a> of Lisa Hochstein<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s marriage in season 5, while season 6 will track Guerdy Abraira<\/strong>\u2019s fight against breast cancer<\/a>. Critics love to brush off the Housewives<\/em> as frivolous trash, but there are a scant few shows on TV that prioritize the real struggles of women in their 30s, 40s and above.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou see people going through growing pains with their marriages. You see friendships really tested,\u201d says Kathleen French<\/strong>, senior vice president of current production at NBCUniversal. \u201cThe women are beautiful and they have these wonderful high-end lifestyles, but they have real-life problems.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\tRelated: <\/span>A Complete Guide to Every Real Housewife Who’s Written a Book<\/a>
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\n\t\t\tMention it all \u2014 in a book! Plenty of Real Housewives have started their own beauty brands and clothing lines, but there\u2019s no more common pastime in the franchise than writing a book. More than 40 Housewives past and present have become authors over the years, writing everything from self-help guides to children\u2019s books and [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

French, a self-described member of the \u201cMiami Fan Club,\u201d was one of the execs instrumental in bringing RHOM<\/em> back in 2021. The show is notable for being one of the most diverse entries in the Housewives<\/em> franchise, featuring cast members from Cuba, Brazil, Haiti, Russia and Canada. \u201cIt\u2019s a beautiful show. Miami is such a great international city at this point, and I think this cast reflects Miami,\u201d French tells Us<\/em>. \u201cIt\u2019s a microcosm, I think, of what is actually going on in Miami right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

This may sound like PR spin, but diversity is obviously something French and her colleagues are thinking about when casting these shows. For the revamped RHONY<\/em>, Cavusoglu was passionate about making sure that the show was a better reflection of the real people who make up New York City. \u201cWe wanted to diversify in terms of neighborhoods, in terms of professions,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m an immigrant woman myself, and one of the things I love about New York is you hear so many different accents and different languages when you walk down the street. It was like, \u2018Where do we find that New York?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

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