The Real Housewives of Orange County

**The Real Housewives of Orange County** (abbreviated **RHOC**) is an American reality television series that premiered on March 21, 2006 on Bravo. It is the first installment of The Real Housewives franchise and focuses on the personal and professional lives of several women residing in Orange County, California.

## Overview

### Season 1-3

In April 2005, The Real Housewives was ordered by American television network Bravo. It was renamed as The Real Housewives of Orange County in January 2006. Show creator Scott Dunlop said that it was originally planned to be set in a single gated community in Coto de Caza, California. The show was inspired by scripted soap operas Desperate Housewives and Payton Place, and would document the lives of upper-class women who "lead glamorous lives in a Southern California gated community were the average home has a $1.6 million price tag and residents include CEOs and retired professional athletes."

The first season premiered on March 21, 2006, and starred Kimberly Bryant, Jo De La Rosa, Vicki Gunvalson, Jeana Keough and Lauri Waring. Bryant left after the first season.

The second season premiered on January 16, 2007. Tammy Knickerbocker joined the cast and Bryant appeared as a guest. After the second season, De La Rosa exited the series as a regular cast member.

The third season premiered on November 6, 2007, which featured Tamra Barney as the latest housewife. While Quinn Fry joined the cast in the sixth episode. Bryant and De La Rosa returned as guests. Knickerbocker and Fry left the main cast after the third season.

### Season 4-8

The fourth season premiered on November 25, 2008 and Gretchen Rossi was introduced as a new housewife. Lauri Peterson made her final appearance as a main cast member in the third episode. While Lynne Curtin joined the cast in the fourth episode. Bryant and De La Rosa made their final guest appearance during the season finale. While Knickerbocker returned as a guest, it was Keough's final season as a full-time cast member.

Season five premiered on November 5, 2009. After Keough left the show as a full-time cast member, Alexis Bellino was added to the main cast. Fry, Knickerbocker and Peterson returned as a guest. Curtin left after the fifth season.

The sixth season which premiered on March 6, 2011, introduced Peggy Tanous as the newest housewife and friend of the housewives Fernanda Rocha. Keough returned in a friend of the housewives status, while Curtin, Fry and Knickerbocker appeared as guests.

The seventh season premiered on February 7, 2012. Heather Dubrow joined the cast whilst Keough and Tanous appeared as guests and Sarah Winchester was featured as a friend of the housewives.

The eighth season premiered on April 1, 2013 and the cast was joined by Lydia McLaughlin. Peterson also appeared as a friend of the housewives. Bellino, McLaughlin, Rossi and Peterson departed after the season.

### Season 9-13

The ninth season premiered on April 14, 2014 and introduced Shannon Storms Beador and Lizzie Rovsek as the new housewives. While Danielle Gregorio joined as friend of the housewives.

The tenth season which premiered on June 8, 2015, saw Rovsek as a friend of the housewives, and Meghan King Edmonds joining the cast. Curtin, Keough and Knickerbocker made guest appearances in the season.

The eleventh season premiered on June 20, 2016. It featured Kelly Dodd joining the cast and Keough making a guest appearance. The season served as Dubrow's final season. McLaughlin returned for the show's twelfth season which premiered on July 10, 2017. Peggy Sulahian joined as the latest housewife. While Keough, Rossi and Rovsek made guest appearances. After the season concluded, King Edmonds, McLaughlin and Sulahian left the shiw.

The thirteenth season premiered on July 16, 2017 and had Gina Kirschenhieter and Emily Simpson joined the cast.

### Season 14-present

The fourteenth season premiered on August 6, 2019. Braunwyn Windham-Burke joined as a cast member, while Gunvalson was demoted to a friend of the housewives status. King Edmonds and Bellino both appeared in a guest capacity. Gunvalson and Judge both left the series in January 2020.

The fifteenth season premiered on October 14, 2020, with Elizabeth Lyn Vargas joining the cast. Keough served as a narrator in the opening of the first episode. Rovsek appeared as a guest in the fifth episode. Filming for the show was paused between March and July 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

## Timeline of Cast Members

### Main Cast

* Vicki Gunvalson (Season 1-13; friend in Season 14)
* Tamra Judge (Season 3-14)
* Shannon Storms Beador (Season 9-15)
* Jeana Keough (Season 1-5; friend in Season 6 and guest in Season 7 and 10-12)
* Gretchen Rossi (Season 4-8; guest in Season 12)
* Heather Dubrow (Season 7-11)
* Kelly Dodd Leventhal (Season 11-15)
* Lauri Peterson (Season 1-4; guest in Season 5 and friend in Season 8)
* Alexis Bellino (Season 5-8; guest in Season 14)
* Meghan King Edmonds (Season 10-12; guest in Season 9 and 14)
* Emily Simpson (Season 13-15; guest in Season 10)
* Gina Kirschenheiter (Season 13-15)
* Jo De La Rosa (Season 1-2; guest in Season 3-4)
* Tammy Knickerbocker (Season 2-3l guest in Season 4-6 and 10)
* Lynne Curtin (Season 4-5; guest in Season 6)
* Lydia McLaughlin (Season 8 and 12)
* Braunwyn Windham-Burke (Season 14-15)
* Kimberly Bryant (Season 1; guest in Season 2-4)
* Quinn Fry (Season 3; guest in Season 4-6)
* Peggy Tanous (Season 6; guest in Season 7)
* Lizzie Rovsek (Season 9; friend in Season 10 and guest in Season 12 and 15)
* Peggy Sulahian (Season 12)
* Elizabeth Lyn Vargas (Season 15)

### Friends of the Housewives

* Fernanda Rocha (Guest in Season 5 and friend in Season 6)
* Sarah Winchester (Guest in Season 5-6 and friend in Season 7)
* Danielle Gregorio (Friend in Season 9)