The Real Housewives of New York City explained

Genre:Reality television
Country:United States
Language:English
Num Seasons:15
Num Episodes:274
List Episodes:List of The Real Housewives of New York City episodes
Camera:Multiple
Runtime:41–43 minutes
Network:Bravo
Last Aired:present

The Real Housewives of New York City, abbreviated RHONY, is an American reality television series that premiered on Bravo on March 4, 2008. Developed as the second installment of The Real Housewives franchise, it has aired fifteen seasons and focuses on the personal and professional lives of several women residing in New York City.

The cast of the first season consisted of Bethenny Frankel, Luann de Lesseps, Alex McCord, Ramona Singer, and Jill Zarin. Other housewives that starred in multiple of the first thirteen seasons include Kelly Killoren Bensimon, Sonja Morgan, Carole Radziwill, Heather Thomson, Dorinda Medley and Tinsley Mortimer. The series was rebooted in its fourteenth season, making it the first series in the franchise to be completely recast. The cast of the upcoming fifteenth season consists of Sai De Silva, Ubah Hassan, Erin Lichy, Jenna Lyons, Jessel Taank, Brynn Whitfield and Racquel Chevremont, with Rebecca Minkoff serving as a "friend of the housewives".

The success of the show has resulted in three spin-offs: Bethenny Ever After, Bethenny & Fredrik and .

Production

Seasons 1–4

While in pre-production, the show was initially titled Manhattan Moms. It was later rebranded to become the second installment of the then-new Real Housewives franchise.[1] The first season premiered on March 4, 2008, and starred Bethenny Frankel, Luann de Lesseps, Alex McCord, Ramona Singer and Jill Zarin.[2] Cast members were paid for their appearances on the series. Bethenny Frankel, for example, was paid $7,250 for the season.[3]

Kelly Killoren Bensimon was added to the cast for the second season, which premiered on February 17, 2009.[4] The third season premiered March 4, 2010 and saw the addition of Sonja Morgan as a main cast member, along with Jennifer Gilbert in a recurring capacity. In August 2010, Frankel left the show in order to expand her Skinnygirl product line.[5]

Cindy Barshop replaced Frankel for the show's fourth season, which premiered on April 7, 2011.[6] After the fourth season, McCord, Zarin, Killoren Bensimon and Barshop were effectively let go from the show.[7]

Seasons 5–8

In April 2012, Bravo announced a revamp to the cast for its fifth season, integrating Aviva Drescher, Carole Radziwill, and Heather Thomson into the main cast. The season premiered on June 4, 2012.[8] Production for the sixth season was set to begin on May 8, 2013, but the cast instead chose to go into salary negotiations with Bravo, effectively delaying shooting.[9] Drescher, Morgan, Radziwill, Singer, and Thomson renewed their contract in May 2013, while de Lesseps was demoted to a recurring role.[10] [11] [12] The sixth season premiered on March 11, 2014, a year later than planned with Kristen Taekman as the latest housewife.[13] Drescher was dismissed after the sixth season.[14]

The seventh season premiered on April 7, 2015, featuring the return of Frankel and addition of Dorinda Medley, while de Lesseps returned in a full-time role. Taekman and Thomson exited the series after the season ended.[15] [16] [17] [18] For the eighth season, which premiered on April 6, 2016, Jules Wainstein was added to the cast, while Thomson returned in a guest appearance, Taekman did not return.[19] [20] Wainstein left the show in September 2016 for personal reasons.[21]

Seasons 9–13

The ninth season premiered on April 5, 2017. Tinsley Mortimer joined the cast, while former housewives Thomson and Zarin appeared as guests.[22] [23] The tenth season premiered on April 4, 2018, with the cast of the ninth season returning. Drescher, Killoren Bensimon, Thomson and Zarin all appeared as guests.[24] [25] It served as Radziwill's final appearance on the show.[26]

The eleventh season premiered on March 6, 2019. Barbara Kavovit joined as a friend of the housewives, and Zarin appeared as a guest.[27] Frankel departed the series after the season for a second time.[28] The twelfth season featured Leah McSweeney joining the cast, which premiered on April 2, 2020.[29] Zarin and Thomson appeared as guests in the twelfth season. Mortimer and Medley announced their departure from the series in June 2020 and August 2020 respectively.[30] Mortimer coincided her announcement with her relocation to Chicago, to pursue her romantic relationship with Scott Kluth,[31] while Medley later stated she was fired from the show.[32]

The thirteenth season premiered on May 4, 2021, with Eboni K. Williams joining the series, in addition to Heather Thomson and Bershan Shaw appearing as friends of the housewives.[33] In September 2021, it was confirmed by Bravo that the thirteenth season reunion was officially cancelled.

In 2022, the Jewish Journal named Frankel and Zarin as two of "The Top 10 Jewish Reality TV Stars of All Time."[34]

Season 14–present

On March 23, 2022, it was announced that following the thirteenth season's negative reception, the showrunners had made the decision to 'most likely' recast the show from scratch for the fourteenth season, and create a second version of the show following some of the show's original housewives, referred to as RHONY: Legacy or RHONY: Throwback.[35] It was later announced that veteran housewives de Lesseps and Morgan would star in their own spin-off series titled .[36] Filming for the spin-off began in July 2022 in the small town of Benton, Illinois.[37] The series premiered on July 9, 2023.[38] The fifth season of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip, a spin-off featuring various women from The Real Housewives franchise, being billed as 'RHONY Legacy' premiered in December 2023 on Peacock.[39] Taking place in Saint Barthélemy in the same villa that was featured in the fifth season of The Real Housewives of New York, the cast includes Kelly Killoren Bensimon, Luann de Lesseps, Dorinda Medley, Sonja Morgan, Ramona Singer and Kristen Taekman.[39]

In September 2021, it was confirmed by Bravo that the thirteenth season reunion was officially cancelled.[40] In March 2022, it was announced that following the thirteenth season's negative reception, the series would see its primary cast retooled, with members of its original cast relegated to a separate show. Although the series has partially shifted its cast before,[7] this marked the first time that the network had decided to completely replace the cast. As a result, the series’s fourteenth season was billed as a series reboot, with little to no connections to the original cast of the series.[41]

On October 16, 2022, Andy Cohen revealed the new cast for the show's fourteenth season by announcing that Sai De Silva, Ubah Hassan, Erin Lichy, Jenna Lyons, Lizzy Savetsky, Jessel Taank and Brynn Whitfield would be leading the rebooted series.[42] On November 16, 2022, Bravo confirmed that Savetsky was departing the series midway into filming the season. Savetsky claims that the reason behind her decision to quit was that she had received anti-Semitic hate across her social media accounts.[43] The fourteenth season premiered on July 16, 2023.[44]

In March 2024, Bravo announced that the show was renewed for a fifteenth season, with all six housewives from the previous season returning.[45] In April 2024, it was announced that Rebecca Minkoff would be joining the series in a friend of capacity.[46] In June 2024, it was announced that Racquel Chevremont would also be joining the fifteenth season of the series as a full-time housewife.[47] The fifteenth season is scheduled to premiere on October 1, 2024.[48]

Cast

Original cast (2008–2021)

Timeline of cast members

Cast member! colspan="15"
Seasons
123456789101112131415
Bethenny Frankelcolspan="4"
Luann de Lessepscolspan="2"
Alex McCordcolspan="11"
Ramona Singercolspan="2"
Jill Zarincolspan="3"
nowrapKelly Killoren Bensimoncolspan="8"
Sonja Morgancolspan="2"
Cindy Barshopcolspan="11"
Aviva Dreschercolspan="9"
Carole Radziwillcolspan="5"
Heather Thomsoncolspan="2"
Kristen Taekmancolspan="8"
Dorinda Medleycolspan="3"
Jules Wainsteincolspan="7"
Tinsley Mortimercolspan="3"
Leah McSweeneycolspan="2"
Eboni K. Williamscolspan="2"
Sai De Silvacolspan="2"
Ubah Hassancolspan="2"
Erin Lichycolspan="2"
Jenna Lyonscolspan="2"
Jessel Taankcolspan="2"
Brynn Whitfieldcolspan="2"
nowrapRacquel Chevremontcolspan="1"
Friends of the Housewives
Jennifer Gilbert-- a tweet by Gilbert confirms she attended a party and was shown on camera -->colspan="10"
Barbara Kavovitcolspan="4"
Elyse Slaine colspan="3"
Bershan Shawcolspan="2"
Rebecca Minkoffcolspan="1"

Episodes

See main article: List of The Real Housewives of New York City episodes.

Critical reception

Then-current cast member Frankel stated in 2017 that she would like to see the series "represent New York more."[49] Writing for The New York Times in October 2019, author Tracie Egan Morrissey posed the question, "If less than half of the city is white, why is 100 percent of the cast of The Real Housewives of New York City white?"[50] Former cast member Heather Thomson also stated that during her time on the series she had pitched several women of color to the show's producers to diversify its cast members due to her concerns about the issue.[50] The women also received backlash for highlighting the class divide in America through the ignorance and mistreatment of staff featured on the show.[51]

The announcements of both the reboot and new cast of the show's fourteenth season have been criticized by some long-time viewers of the series, who argued that these were rash and poor decisions on Bravo's part.[52] The reboot's cast has been deemed unappealing by these viewers, many of whom appreciated the franchise's specific focus on established spheres of older, upper-class New York socialites, labeling the choice to fill the new cast with "influencers" as a deviation from the show's original subject matter.[53] The decision has been labeled as another move in Bravo's larger attempt to appeal the network to a younger and more social media-oriented audience.[54]

Broadcast history

The Real Housewives of New York City airs regularly on Bravo in the United States;[55] most episodes are approximately forty-two minutes in length,[56] and are broadcast in standard definition and high definition.[57] Since its premiere, the series has alternated airing on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings and has been frequently shifted between the 8:00, 9:00, and 10:00 PM timeslots.[55]

Other media

In July 2012, Bravo released a social networking video game version of The Real Housewives of New York City titled as Real Housewives: The Game. Following weekly new episodes, a new game was available based on the story.[58] [59]

In 2016, On Location Tours hosted an official The Real Housewives of New York-themed tour in New York City. The tour is centered around giving passengers an almost four-hour trip to visit numerous places where current and former housewives "have dined, shopped, dated or had a fight or two," and is described as the "ultimate, one-of-a-kind Real Housewives experience."[60]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Bravo Starts Production on New Docu-Drama 'Manhattan Moms'. The Futon Critic. May 11, 2013. September 20, 2007.
  2. Web site: Bravo Announces New Series "The Real Housewives of New York City" . . May 11, 2013 . January 14, 2008.
  3. Web site: Why It's So Hard for Reality Stars to Get Protection From Exploitation. Time. Espada, Mariah. en-US. live. September 18, 2023. September 19, 2023. September 19, 2023. https://archive.today/20230919182805/https://time.com/6314118/reality-tv-unions-protection/.
  4. Web site: Kelly Bensimon Joins Season 2 of Bravo's "The Real Housewives of New York City". The Futon Critic. May 11, 2013. July 24, 2008.
  5. Web site: Bethenny Frankel Tells Us: I Quit The guy tab Real Housewives of New York!. Us Weekly. May 11, 2013. August 31, 2010.
  6. Web site: Gorman. Bill. Bravo Says Bienvenido With Series Premiere Of "The Real Housewives Of Miami" On Feb 22. TV by the Numbers. May 11, 2013. February 3, 2011. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140111221817/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/02/03/bravo-says-bienvenido-with-series-premiere-of-%E2%80%9Cthe-real-housewives-of-miami%E2%80%9D-on-feb-22/81434/. January 11, 2014.
  7. Web site: Jill Zarin, Kelly Bensimon and Alex McCord not returning to "Real Housewives of New York City". CBS News. Derschowitz. Jessica. September 18, 2011. February 6, 2019.
  8. Web site: Bibel. Sara. Bravo's 'The Real Housewives of New York City' Gets a Facelift When Three New Ladies Join the cast on the Monday June 4 Premiere. https://web.archive.org/web/20120408091441/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/04/05/bravos-the-real-housewives-of-new-york-city-gets-a-facelift-when-three-new-ladies-join-the-cast-on-the-monday-june-4-premiere/127860/. dead. April 8, 2012. TV by the Numbers. May 11, 2013. April 5, 2012.
  9. Web site: O'Connell. Michael. 'Real Housewives' Salary Standoff: Bravo Threatens to Cancel 'New York'. The Hollywood Reporter. May 10, 2013. March 19, 2015.
  10. Web site: UPDATE: 'Real Housewives Of NY' Sign Bravo Contracts; Season 6 Back On. Patten. Dominic. Deadline Hollywood. May 11, 2013. March 19, 2015.
  11. AvivaDrescher . Aviva Drescher . 337714507638001664 . May 23, 2013 . Hey @extratv ! U guys just aired that I am not signed on to #rhony season 6. 4r betr or worse signed on and filming! #masochist. Lol xoxo . May 24, 2013.
  12. Web site: Nilles. Billy. 'Real Housewives' contract dispute: LuAnn de Lesseps signs deal to return to 'New York City' for Season 6. https://web.archive.org/web/20130529055815/http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2013/05/real-housewives-contract-dispute-luann-de-lesseps-signs-deal-to-return-to-new-york-city-for-season-6.html. dead. May 29, 2013. Zap2it. May 29, 2013. May 28, 2013.
  13. Bibel. Sara. 'The Real Housewives of New York City' Season Six to Premiere Tuesday, March 11 on Bravo. https://web.archive.org/web/20140108190642/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2014/01/08/the-real-housewives-of-new-york-city-season-six-to-premiere-tuesday-march-11-on-bravo/227637/. dead. January 8, 2014. TV by the Numbers. January 8, 2014. January 8, 2014.
  14. Web site: Aviva Drescher Fired From The Real Housewives of New York City. September 5, 2014. March 4, 2015. Chris. Harnick. E! Online.
  15. Web site: Bethenny Frankel Returns To 'Real Housewives Of New York City'. The Huffington Post. Cavan. Sieczkowski. March 4, 2015. March 2, 2015.
  16. Web site: Dorinda Medley Joins the Cast of The Real Housewives of New York City. March 4, 2015. March 2, 2015. People. Amanda Michelle. Steiner.
  17. Web site: Heather Thomson Says She Will Not Return to #RHONY. Jordan. Upmalis. September 8, 2015. September 10, 2015. Bravo-The Daily Dish.
  18. Web site: Kristen Taekman Says She Will Not Return to Real Housewives of New York. Jocelyn. Vena. October 26, 2015. October 26, 2015. Bravo-The Daily Dish.
  19. Web site: Harnick. Chris. The Real Housewives of New York City Season 8 Trailer Is Full of Partying, Feuds and Fur Vests. E Online. September 26, 2016. March 2016.
  20. Web site: The Real Housewives of New York City: Steel Calzones. zap2it.
  21. Web site: One of the Real Housewives of New York City Confirms She Won't Return. Bravo TV. Jocelyn. Vena. September 19, 2016. September 19, 2016.
  22. News: Quinn . Dave . Bethenny Frankel Streaks and Jill Zarin Returns in Real Housewives of New York City Season 9 Trailer . . March 6, 2017 . March 6, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170306181110/http://people.com/tv/real-housewives-of-new-york-city-rhony-season-9-trailer/ . March 6, 2017.
  23. Web site: Vena. Jocelyn. The Real Housewives of New York City Returns This April: Get Your First Look at All the Fireworks. Bravo. March 6, 2017. March 6, 2017.
  24. News: Quinn . Dave . Big Drama in the Big Apple! The Real Housewives of New York City Return in Season 10 Trailer . . March 1, 2018 . March 2, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180302191341/http://people.com/tv/rhony-season-10-trailer-exclusive/ . March 2, 2018 . live.
  25. News: Jill Zarin, Bethenny Frankel, Dorinda Medley and More 'RHONY' Stars Attend Bobby Zarin's Funeral . . January 15, 2018 . August 16, 2022.
  26. Web site: Vulpo. Mike. Carole Radziwill Leaving Real Housewives of New York City. E! Online. July 25, 2018. July 25, 2018.
  27. Web site: Quinn . Dave . The Real Housewives of New York City Returns with Explosive Season 11 Trailer . . January 28, 2019 . January 30, 2019.
  28. Web site: Otterson. Joe. Bethenny Frankel to Exit Real Housewives of New York (EXCLUSIVE). Variety. August 21, 2019. August 21, 2019. https://www.freezepage.com/1566429803REITPIEKWK?url=https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/bethenny-frankel-real-housewives-of-new-york-exit-1203309725/. August 21, 2019. live.
  29. Web site: New Friends, New Alliances, and New Beginnings as "The Real Housewives of New York City" Returns Thursday, April 2, at 9PM ET/PT. . February 12, 2020.
  30. Web site: Murphy . Desiree . Dorinda Medley Announces She's Leaving RHONY, Co-Stars React . . August 26, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200826130359/https://www.etonline.com/dorinda-medley-announces-shes-leaving-rhony-bethenny-frankel-luann-de-lesseps-and-more-react-151937 . August 26, 2020 . August 25, 2020 . live.
  31. Web site: Drysdale . Jennifer . Tinsley Mortimer Confirms Real Housewives of New York City Exit . . June 11, 2020 . June 11, 2020.
  32. Web site: RHONY: Dorinda Medley Finally Publicly Discusses Bravo Firing With Bethenny . O'Brien, Jennifer . . October 6, 2020 . October 30, 2020.
  33. Web site: Guglielmi . Jodi . Eboni K. Williams Makes RHONY Debut in Season 13 Trailer — and She's Calling Out Ramona Singer . . . March 23, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210323150045/https://people.com/tv/rhony-season-13-trailer-eboni-k-williams-makes-debut/ . March 23, 2021 . United States . en . March 23, 2021 . live.
  34. Web site: The Top 10 Jewish Reality TV Stars of All Time. Alan. Zeitlin. December 23, 2022. Jewish Journal.
  35. Web site: Bravo to Reboot 'Real Housewives of New York City' With New Cast — and Launch Second 'RHONY' With Ex-Stars. Variety. 23 March 2022 .
  36. Web site: Trainor . Daniel . October 15, 2022 . Bravo Announces Luann de Lesseps & Sonja Morgan's Simple Life-Style Spin-Off . July 1, 2023 . eonline.com . October 15, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221015195229/https://www.eonline.com/news/1350593/bravo-announces-luann-de-lesseps-sonja-morgans-simple-life-style-spinoff . live .
  37. Web site: Melvin . Katie . July 15, 2022 . Benton is buzzing as reality television comes to town . July 1, 2023 . wsiltv.com . July 15, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220715000826/https://www.wsiltv.com/news/top-stories/benton-is-buzzing-as-reality-television-comes-to-town/article_58da3046-03c3-11ed-964b-5fe9c721023c.html . live .
  38. Web site: Tinoco . Armando . May 22, 2023 . 'RHONY' Stars Sonja Morgan & Luann De Lesseps Return To Bravo In 'Welcome To Crappie Lake' Trailer Giving 'Simple Life' Vibes . July 1, 2023 . . May 22, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230522212507/https://deadline.com/2023/05/rhony-sonja-morgan-luann-de-lesseps-bravo-in-welcome-to-crappie-lake-trailer-1235376150/ . live .
  39. Web site: Franklin . McKinley . 2023-08-02 . 'Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: RHONY Legacy' Swaps Dates With 'Ex-Wives Club' . 2023-08-03 . Variety . en-US.
  40. /https://people.com/tv/rhony-will-not-film-a-season-13-reunion-due-to-scheduling-challenges/
  41. Web site: Let Andy Cohen Introduce You to the Ladies of the RHONY Reboot . 16 November 2022.
  42. Web site: Tinoco . Armando . October 16, 2022 . 'RHONY' Season 14 Reboot Cast Confirmed With 7 New Housewives Including Jenna Lyons – BravoCon . July 1, 2023 . . October 18, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221018222906/https://deadline.com/2022/10/rhony-season-14-reboot-cast-confirmed-7-new-housewives-jenna-lyons-bravocon-1235146455/ . live .
  43. Web site: Aurthur . Kate . November 16, 2022 . Lizzy Savetsky Quits Bravo's Rebooted 'Real Housewives of New York City' After a 'Torrent of Antisemitic Attacks' . July 1, 2023 . . November 17, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221117022732/https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/lizzy-savetsky-quits-bravo-real-housewives-of-new-york-city-1235435165/ . live .
  44. Web site: Tinoco . Armando . May 1, 2023 . 'The Real Housewives Of New York City' Reboot Gets Season 14 Premiere Date Post 'RHOA' In New Teaser . June 24, 2023 . . May 1, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230501161719/https://deadline.com/2023/05/the-real-housewives-of-new-york-city-reboot-season-14-premiere-date-rhoa-1235351759/. live.
  45. Web site: Aurthur. Kate. March 28, 2024. All Six 'RHONY' Reboot Cast Members Will Return for Season 15 — Yes, That Includes Jenna Lyons. March 29, 2024. Variety. https://web.archive.org/web/20240329124612/https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/rhony-cast-season-15-jenna-lyons-1235943607/. March 29, 2024. live.
  46. Web site: Kang. Esther. Quinn. Dave. April 16, 2024. Rebecca Minkoff Is Joining The Real Housewives of New York City for Season 15. April 17, 2024. People. https://web.archive.org/web/20240417005240/https://people.com/rebecca-minoff-joins-the-real-housewives-of-new-york-city-season-15-8634609. April 17, 2024. live.
  47. Web site: Tinoco. Armando. June 27, 2024. Bravo's 'The Real Housewives Of New York City' Adds Racquel Chevremont To Season 15 Cast. June 27, 2024. Deadline Hollywood. https://web.archive.org/web/20240627192249/https://deadline.com/2024/06/bravo-the-real-housewives-of-new-york-city-racquel-chevremont-season-15-cast-1235984770/. June 27, 2024. live.
  48. Web site: Tinoco. Armando. August 13, 2024. 'The Real Housewives Of New York City' Season 15 Cast Photos, Trailer & Premiere Date Set At Bravo. August 18, 2024. Deadline Hollywood.
  49. News: Bethenny Frankel on Finding Success, Shark Tank and the Newest Addition to the Skinnygirl Family. Jeryl Brunner. Parade. 2017-07-06. 2019-07-06.
  50. News: Race and 'The Real Housewives'. Tracie Egan Morrissey. The New York Times. 2019-10-29. 2019-10-29.
  51. Web site: "RHONY" Treats the Help like Props . 2023-03-07 . Bitch Media . en.
  52. Web site: Makhija . Sukriti . 2023-05-16 . "Completely disinterested": Netizens criticize RHONY season 14 reboot trailer and new cast announcement . 2023-06-04 . www.sportskeeda.com . en-us.
  53. Web site: 2022-10-19 . Why Fans Are Already Criticizing The New RHONY Season 14 Cast . 2023-06-04 . ScreenRant . en.
  54. Web site: Finkel . Lena . 2022-10-18 . Bravo Announces New 'RHONY' Cast, Proves It Doesn't Understand Its Audience At All . 2023-06-04 . Femestella . en-US.
  55. Web site: The Real Housewives of New York City . The Futon Critic. August 27, 2020.
  56. Web site: iTunes – TV Shows – The Real Housewives of New York City, Season 1. iTunes Store (US). Apple Inc.. 4 March 2008 . February 24, 2020.
  57. Web site: iTunes – TV Shows – The Real Housewives of New York City, Season 5. iTunes Store (US). Apple Inc.. 4 March 2008 . February 24, 2020.
  58. Web site: Real Housewives: The Game on Facebook | Facebook . https://web.archive.org/web/20130622041513/https://apps.facebook.com/realhousewivesgame/?fb_source=bookmark_apps&ref=bookmarks&count=0&fb_bmpos=3_0 . dead . June 22, 2013 . Facebook . August 13, 2012.
  59. Web site: Real Housewives: The Game. Bravo . August 7, 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120819081411/http://www.bravotv.com/real-housewives-the-game. August 19, 2012.
  60. Web site: The Real Housewives of New York City Tour. On Location Tours. 7 July 2016.