Housewives come and go faster than Lisa Vanderpump adopts new animals, so it’s no surprise that Bravo’s Real Housewives franchises go through frequent ups and downs. After decades of creating reality TV gold, Bravo made its most drastic move yet — completely rebooting The Real Housewives of New York City. Naturally, this divided Bravo fans, with many sticking by their tried-and-true favorites, and others totally on board with bringing in a new crew. But to many people’s surprise, it’s working. Really well, actually.
Even the (arguably) most opinionated social media platform, Twitter, followed the reboot’s July 2023 premiere with rave reviews, praising the new show for its light-hearted, somewhat petty drama that makes for an easy, stress-free watch. (A far cry from its previous two seasons, that's for sure.) Feedback has remained positive throughout the season, prompting fans to speculate which Housewives city may get the reboot treatment next.
While every city has gotten a little TLC at one point or another, RHONY's initial success may inspire the network to follow suit with other shows (especially those with Housewives that carry a hefty salary, or those where their partners get paid). While there are some series in desperate need of the RHONY-treatment, there are a few franchises that are doing more than fine and must be protected from the prying hands of Bravo production.
Here’s our very serious, very definitive ranking of every single Housewives franchise, from the golden children of Bravo to shows that need a complete reno.
9. The Real Housewives Of Miami: If You Dare To Lay A Finger…
We are so obsessed with RHOM it’s insane…and we’re not alone. The franchise, which rebooted in 2021 after eight years off-air on Peacock, is beyond incredible. From the returns of OGs Alexia Nepola, Larsa Pippen, Lisa Hochstein and Adriana de Moura to new additions Dr. Nicole Martin, Guerdy Abraira, Julia Lemigova, and Kiki Barth, the show is the siren of the Real Housewives universe. Set in the cultural melting pot of Miami, the franchise gives us all the drama of a typical Housewives show mixed with IRL friendships, fiery personalities, wealth and diverse backgrounds for the ultimate reality TV experience.
8. The Real Housewives Of Orange County: Leave! It! Alone!
If you would’ve asked us two seasons ago if the franchise needed a reboot, we would have been screaming “OMG YES.” Now, the first Real Housewives show is experiencing a new golden age, gradually reclaimed its title as one of Bravo’s wildest watches, courtesy of returning veterans Tamra Judge, Heather Dubrow, and OG-turned-friend-of Vicki Gunvalson.
7. The Real Housewives Of Potomac: Keep Your Hands Off!
Potomac is the only Housewives city to have four(!!!) cast members last its all seven seasons, and for good reason. It’s mastered the balance of artful shade, juicy scandals, jaw-dropping fights, and genuine family stories — wrapped up in Emmy-worthy editing. If the rumors are true, those OGs — Gizelle Bryant, Karen Huger, Ashley Darby, and Robyn Dixon — will all return for S8 along with the rest of the S7 cast, cementing RHOP as one of Bravo’s most solid shows.
6. The Real Housewives Of New York City: Just One Note
The reboot is literally everything. It’s got opulence, glamor, strong, unique women and some good ol’ reality TV drama. The rebooted cast (Jenna Lyons, Sai de Silva, Jessel Taank, Erin Dana Lichy, Ubah Hassan, and Brynn Whitfield) is the perfect representation of everything New York has to offer — a far cry from their dated predecessors (who we still love, BTW). Our only note is to add a friend-of, or two. Obviously, the cast is still brand spankin’ new, but adding in another voice would help round out the franchise (and undoubtedly add some more drama).
5. The Real Housewives Of Dubai: A Slight Adjustment Is In Order
Okay — Dubai is slow. Like, really slow. While the city itself has all the makings of a perfect Housewives city on paper (glamorous, uber-rich, and a little controversial), the pace of the first season moved way too slowly to reach its full potential. While it always takes more than one season to make a great Housewives show, a slight makeover is in order for The RHOD to really thrive. The show has natural stars in frenemies Chanel Ayan and Caroline Stanbury, and their friends Lesa Milan and Caroline Brooks, but they need some spitfire mutual friends to stir the pot, and more Arab women to present a more accurate demographic of the city.
4. The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills: Grab Some Stitches
If Beverly Hills is the capital of plastic surgery, its Housewives show should take advantage. RHOBH’s high Season 12 ratings didn’t align with audience reactions, with many fans complaining about certain Wives’ (ahem — Lisa Rinna and Erika Girardi) tendency to single out castmates over old, mundane issues (i.e. Puppygate, Kathy Hilton in Aspen…you get the gist) and driving them six feet under. That said, most new cast members, like Garcelle Beauvais, Sutton Stracke, and Crystal Kung Minkoff, have become fan favorites, and OG Kyle Richards’ life is getting more and more interesting by the minute. Truly, a reworked mix of old and new is the ideal solution for revitalized Beverly Hills, and Bravo clearly got the hint by putting Lisa Rinna on pause.
3. The Real Housewives Of Atlanta: We Need New Peaches
After a successfully rebooted RHONY, some fans are calling for RHOA to hit the refresh button — and we think they're onto something. For whatever reason, something isn’t gelling with the current mix of veterans and newbies, and it’s time for Bravo to take a long, hard look in the mirror. That being said, with so many former Housewives going through significant life changes — NeNe Leakes grieving her husband, Kim Zolciak filing then calling off her divorce, Cynthia Bailey getting divorced, Porsha Williams tying the knot — there is so much potential to bring back these familiar faces. Truthfully, these OG women could revive the show, but if they’re not willing to return (or if Bravo won’t move past NeNe’s lawsuit), then it may be time to see what new peaches Hotlanta has to offer.
2. The Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City: It Needs A Refresh
Maybe this is controversial, but RHOSLC is in desperate need of some surgery. The show just isn’t interesting enough to warrant a watch (and IMO has been struggling since S3). Even so, with much of the original cast still intact (sans-now-felon Jen Shah) and some new additions, success is still possible.
To achieve said success, we have three primary requests: 1) Channel old-school Housewives energy. We have the conflict, but we need the out-of-this-world glitz and glam to match. The Housewives franchise was built on escapism, a window into the lives of wealthy women, and RHOSLC seems to lack this important facet. 2) Bring in the Mormons. RHOSLC initially attracted viewers because of the innate interest in Mormon life — a religion with so many quirks you just can’t help but be curious about. With Utah serving as the Mormon capital of the world, we want to see what life looks like as an active member of this group. 3) Travel more. We are bored staying in the US. Break these women out of the mountains and give them a roundtrip plane ticket to France, or Bali, or literally anywhere besides North America. Real Housewives trips are always a breeding ground for impeccable TV.1. The Real Housewives Of New Jersey: Reboot
Hot take: it’s time to throw the sprinkle cookies in the garbage. We were raised on the Giudice-Gorga feud, but we’re tired (and we’re not alone). S13 was an exhausting watch, with the estranged family constantly butting heads and Teresa continuously refusing to take even the slightest crumb of accountability. Fans are over it, they're over Teresa's hubby Luis Ruelas, and they're definitely over the men butting into the Housewives' screen time, but since the reunion brought in record ratings, Bravo is reportedly leaving the cast untouched for S14.
Though it may be hard to imagine New Jersey without Teresa, one of the franchise’s only two OG Housewives that still remains on her show and hasn’t missed a season (even from jail), the only thing that sounds worse is another season of this never-ending family drama. The castings of Jennifer Aydin in S9 and S13 newbies Rachel Fuda, Danielle Cabral and Jenn Fessler prove how New Jersey can thrive with fresh blood, so it’s time for Bravo to say “so long” to Teresa, Melissa Gorga, Margaret Josephs, Dolores Catania and Jackie Goldschneider for good — at least if they want the franchise to continue with any success.
Which show to you think is in desperate need of a reboot? Let us know @BritandCo!
Header images courtesy of Bravo.
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