In 2006, Bravo created the first real housewives series, Orange County, in 2006. It was a very successful show so a reality television media franchise born. Since then, Bravo has created spinoffs located in New York City & Atlanta in 2008, New Jersey in 2009, Washington D.C. & Beverly Hills in 2010, Miami in 2011, and Potomac & Dallas in 2016.
People who know me well know that I am a super fan of "The Real Housewives". I have literally seen every single series that the franchise has created in the United States and have been a religious watcher of most of the shows for many years so I thought I would be able to create a list of the worst to best Real Housewives shows.
9. The Real Housewives of D.C.
The series premiered in August 2010 and featured the lives of Cat Ommanney, Stacie Scott Turner, Mary Amons (above), Lynda Erkiletian, and Michaele Salahi. The series is probably best known for featuring Salahi and her then-husband Tareqi Salahi attending the 2009 White House state dinner which gained nationally controversy because they were never invited in the first place.
In my opinion, the show wasn't very good at all. Bravo also agreed and canceled the show after only one season which was a first in the franchise's history.
8. The Real Housewives of Miami
The series premiered in February 2011 and featured the lives of multiple women including Adriana de Moura, Marysol Patton, Ana Quincoces, Joanna Krupa, Lea Black, Karent Sierra, and Lisa Hochstein. I wasn't a huge fan of the show but I did love a few of the women including Krupa and season one cast member/close Kardashian friend Larsa Pippen.
The show aired for three seasons and mysteriously ended with no explanation. It is the second series in the franchise's history to not be renewed.
7. The Real Housewives of New Jersey
The series premiered in May 2009 and features the lives of several women including current cast members Jackie Goldschneider (left), Melissa Gorga (middle), Margaret Josephs (right), Teresa Giudice, Jennifer Aydin, and Dolores Catania. This show has given us some iconic reality television scenes like Teresa's famous table flip.
This is my least favorite of the Real Housewives franchise. I have watched this show off on throughout the years. I tend not to watch it as I do with the other current Real Housewives shows mostly because if I want to see a good New Jersey style fighting I'll go and watch old episodes of MTV's Jersey Shore.
6. The Real Housewives of New York City
The series premiered in March 2008 and features the lives of several women including current cast members (L-R) Tinsley Mortimer, Ramona Singer, Dorinda Medley. Bethenny Frankel, Luann de Lesseps, and Sonja Morgan.
The show has given reality television many good fight scenes like my favorite one involving former cast member Aviva Drescher when she said "The only thing that is artificial or fake about me is..." and then proceeds to take off her prosthetic leg.
I started really getting into the show during season nine. Personally, I like this version of the Real Housewives franchise because it reminds me of what The CW's Gossip Girl, one of my favorite shows, would be if it was real life people. The 11th and the current season is getting off to a great start so I'm excited to continue watching.
5. The Real Housewives of Potomac
The series premiered in January 2016 and features the lives of current cast members Karen Huger, Ashley Darby, Gizelle Bryant (above), Candiace Dillard, Monique Samuels, and Robyn Dixon. When the show first started, I had never heard of the town, Potomac. Normally, the shows are located in major cities. Once I found out where Potomac was, I was guessing that it was just a revamp of RHODC.
Once I started watching it, I instantly liked it. I liked how it was way less political than RHODC but still very classy for a Real Housewives show. The new season starting in just a few weeks, May 5th, and I'm sure it will be full of drama just like the others.
4. The Real Housewives of Orange County
The original Real Housewives series premiered in March 2006 and features the lives of several women including current cast members (L-R) Gina Kirschenheiter, Kelly Dodd, Shannon Beador, Tamra Judge, Vicky Gunvalson, and Emily Simpson.
The show has given reality television many good quotes from fight scenes like the meme-worthy moment when Judge yells "That's my opinion!" at Gunvalson in the season nine reunion episode which caused all the housewives and host Andy Cohen to have an awkward silence.
This show has always been so good. My favorite part about the show is the friendship drama that happened between Gunvalson and Judge since the latter joined the series in season three. Their drama has gone back and forth over the past eleven years and they brought their cast members all along with it. This show has also given me one of my favorite real housewife of all time Meghan King Edmonds who was a cast member from season ten to season twelve.
3. The Real Housewives of Dallas
The newest Real Housewives show premiered in April 2016 features the lives of current cast members Kameron Westcott, D'Andra Simmons, Brandi Redmond, Cary Deuber, Stephanie Hollman, and Leeann Locken. I was so excited when they announced this show because I had been waiting for years for a Real Housewives show in my favorite city in the entire world.
I find these women to be the most relatable, minus the whole rich and wealthy part, out of all the Real Housewives because Texas has always been like a second home state for me since a lot of my family lives here so I'm always in Dallas visiting them. I understand how they talk, the way they act, and their Dallas lifestyles.
2. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
The series premiered in October 2010 and features the lives of several women including current cast members (L-R) Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave, Lisa Rinna, Lisa Vanderpump, Kyle Richards, Erika Girardi, Dorit Kemsley, and Denise Richards.
The show has given reality television many good fight scenes like the ones between Richards and her sister/former cast member Kim Richards, the famous wine glass smashing after Lisa Rinna and Kim Richards argue, and the season one dinner party blowup with medium Allison DuBois.
This show has always been a favorite Real Housewives show because it gives me a good mixture of rich Beverly Hills women and celebrities going into a reality television world. This show has also given me some of my favorite real housewives of all time including Girardi, Rinna, Eileen Davidson (cast member from season five to season seven), and Yolanda Hadid (cast member from season three to season six). The 9th and the current season is getting off to a great start so I'm excited to continue watching.
1. The Real Housewives of Atlanta
The series premiered in October 2008 and features the lives of several women including current cast members Kandi Burruss, Eva Marcille, Porsha Williams (above), Shamari DeVoe, Cynthia Bailey, and NeNe Leakes.
This show has given us some of the most iconic reality television scenes like former cast member Shereé Whitfield and her party planner which she famously said "Who's gonna check me boo?", Whitfield pulling former cast member Kim Zolciak-Bierrmann's wig, and the blowout reunion fight between Williams and former cast member Kenya Moore.
This is my favorite Real Housewives show of all time because the women who have been on this show always have a big and over the top personalities. Their personalities have caused all of the iconic fights that this show has had over the past eleven seasons and eleven years.
This show has also given me some of my favorite real housewives of all time including Zolciak-Biermann, Burruss, Whitfield, Bailey, Williams, and Marcille. The 11th and current season turned out to be a good one so I'm excited for future seasons of my favorite Real Housewives show.
It's sad to say that creating this list was very hard for me because I love most of them all very equally. If you want to get started on any of the Real Housewives shows, I definitely recommend it. All of the shows are a for sure guilty pleasure when it comes to reality television so I know you will get addicted just like I am.
