It’s been nearly 20 years since the premiere of The Real Housewives of Orange County in March 2006. It was the first of its kind, lifting the lid on how the 1% live and fans were hooked. Since then, the show has evolved into a massive franchise, with casts from all around the country such as Real Housewives of New Jersey, Real Housewives of Atlanta, and Real Housewives of Miami. Real Housewives of Dubai went beyond the border to film in the United Arab Emirates.
Clearly, the show has a winning formula that works. Take a group of wealthy women that are friends, frenemies, or downright can’t stand each other, and put them together at different events. Don’t forget to keep the drinks flowing. Drama will surely ensue, but sometimes heartwarming friendship as well.
And the man behind it all, Andy Cohen, took a moment to reflect on the success of the franchise during BravoCon 2023 in Las Vegas.
Andy calls Real Housewives “the great feminist show”
OK! interviewed the Bravo executive producer during the event about the series still dominating after two decades.
“I think we’re representing women whose stories are not being told. I would argue that Real Housewives is the great feminist show,” Andy said. He continued: “I think it shows empowered women living their lives to the fullest. I absolutely love it.”
And there are always new stories to tell. The Real Housewives of New York City was revamped with a cast that better represented the population of the Big Apple. Real Housewives of Salt Lake City cast Monica Garcia for Season 4, a person with a different economic background than the rest of the group.
Andy spoke of the RHOSLC newbie specifically as an example of representation. “Monica [Garcia] and her insecurity about not having the right purse – I thought that was so relatable,” he explained. “We have not seen that yet. I would think every Housewife has thought that at one point or another, but there’s always something new and that’s why I think the show is so great still.”
TELL US – WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE REASON FOR THE SUCCESS OF THE FRANCHISE? DO YOU AGREE WITH ANDY’S COMMENTS? WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SHOW AND WHY?
