THE TOP FIVE...Real Housewives franchises
You knew it was coming.
If you’ve been engaging with my work for a while, you’ll probably know of my passion for top-tier reality TV and, specifically, The Real Housewives. One of the questions I’m most often asked -after ‘Who would your dream podcast guest be?’ and ‘Do you have any book recommendations'?’ and ‘Is Vauxhall station this way?’ (tbf, Vauxhall *does* have a confusing lay-out) - is ‘What Real Housewives franchise should I start with?’ Well, my friend, the answer is below, in order of preference.
The Real Housewives of New York
Forget the reality categorisation, this is quite simply one of the best TV shows of all time. I rewatched it all from the beginning during lockdown and can confirm it more than withstands the scrutiny. What makes it so good? It’s partly the cast - a combination of whip-smart business gals, wealthy women cloaked in self-delusion and faded Grey Gardens-esque eccentricity. Countess Luann de Lesseps is my favourite ever housewife for the extraordinary journey she goes on - from a midwestern nurse to bona fide aristocrat to a divorcee with a drink problem who sleeps with a pirate, makes eggs a la francaise, marries a terrible man called Tom, gets divorced again, winds up arrested for drunk and disorderly behaviour in Palm Beach, goes to jail, then to rehab before reinventing herself as a cabaret star. Trust me, you have to watch it to believe it. [A note of caution - season 13 is a monstrous dud, featuring deeply uncomfortable conversations about race and restricted filming opportunities owing to the pandemic. The franchise was then rebooted with a whole new cast. We’re currently in the second season of the ‘new’ RHONY and I like it but it’s a very different beast from the old one.]
