The Real Housewives

The Real Housewives is an American television franchise. The shows document the lives of several affluent housewives residing in various regions throughout the United States.

International versions are also broadcast by several television channels worldwide.

Conception
The Real Housewives was first announced as one of six reality television series ordered by the American television channel Bravo in May 2005. It was inspired by scripted soap operas Desperate Housewives and Peyton Place, and would document the lives of upper-class women who "lead glamorous lives in a picturesque Southern California gated community where the average home has a $1.6 million price tag and residents include CEOs and retired professional athletes." The series was announced as The Real Housewives of Orange County in January 2006 and premiered on March 21 of the same year.

In September 2007, Bravo started the production for the series Manhattan Moms, which would "follow an eclectic group of Gotham socialites and their families." The series was later retitled as The Real Housewives of New York City in January 2008, becoming the first spin-off from The Real Housewives franchise. It premiered on March 4, 2008. The second spin-off The Real Housewives of Atlanta was announced in June and premiered on October 7. The third spin-off The Real Housewives of New Jersey was mentioned in May 2008 before the confirmation of The Real Housewives of Atlanta. It premiered afterwards on May 12, 2009. The Real Housewives of D.C. was announced in October 2009. It premiered on August 5, 2010 and ended on October 21, 2010 after one season. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills was announced in March 2010 and premiered on October 14, 2010. In March 2010, Bravo ordered a series titled Miami Social Club, which would serve as a reconstruction of the series Miami Social. The series was later re-titled to The Real Housewives of Miami. It premiered on February 22, 2011 and ended on November 4, 2013 after three seasons.

In November 2015, Bravo announced two new The Real Housewives series, The Real Housewives of Potomac and The Real Housewives of Dallas. Prior to being announced, The Real Housewives of Potomac was initially titled Potomac Ensemble during its early production. It premiered on January 17, 2016. While The Real Housewives of Dallas had originally been titled Ladies of Dallas during its early production, a potential spin-off series to Ladies of London. The series premiered on April 11, 2016. In November 2019, The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City was announced.

Future
On December 2, 2016, executive producer of Bravo's The Real Housewives series Andy Cohen spoke on the future of the franchise, saying if there were to be a new instalment to the franchise that it could be set in Nashville, Tennessee. Cohen also started that an All Star edition would serve as an end-goal for the franchise when ratings begin to drop. He added that it would likely feature eight housewives with "big personalities" from each series on an island together. Later in December 2016, during an interview with Harry Connick Jr., Cohen stated that they look for cities with strong personalities and agreed that New Orleans fits that criterion.

Producers and Andy Cohen casted in Chicago, Greenwich, San Francisco and Houston but didn't pursue.

Criticism
The reality series is critiqued as promoting consumerism through programming. It is also seen as perpetuating gender stereotypes by highlighting women as shoppers more so than career women. Their lavish lifestyles have also contributed to the misconception that financial wealth equals happiness. Feminist leader Gloria Steinem has vociferously criticised the "Housewives" franchise for "presenting women as rich, pampered, dependent and hateful towards each other."

The New York Times ran an article in October 2019 criticising how the casts of the different Housewives franchises are "segregated" by skin colour. Author Tracie Egan Morrissey pointed to Potomac and Atlanta for their almost entirely African American casts, while the other iterations (Beverly Hills, Orange County, Dallas, New York and New Jersey) are overwhelmingly white and have featured few women of colour. Real Housewives of New York has never featured a woman of colour as a "Housewife", while the addition of Kary Brittingham to Dallas in 2019 marked the show's first non-white cast member. Beverly Hills, with the exception of Season 4's Joyce Giraud, featured "a racially homogeneous cast throughout its run", until the addition of Garcelle Beauvais, also in 2019.

Broadcast
The first four series entered weekday broadcast syndication in the majority of United States markets on September 13, 2010, with episodes of The Real Housewives of Orange County. The Real Housewives of Atlanta started airing episodes in the syndicated time slot on October 25, 2010; The Real Housewives of New York City on November 29, 2010; and The Real Housewives of New Jersey on January 17, 2011. More episodes of Orange County and an encore of Atlanta finished off the season.