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 has aired fourteen seasons and focuses on the personal and professional lives of several women residing in Orange County, California.

The current cast consists of Tamra Judge, Shannon Beador, Kelly Dodd, Gina Kirschenheiter, Emily Simpson and Braunwyn Windham-Burke, with Vicki Gunvalson serving as a friend of the housewives. Previously-featured cast members include original cast members Kimberly Bryant, Jo De La Rosa, Jeana Keough and Lauri Peterson; and later additions Tammy Knickerbocker, Quinn Fry, Gretchen Rossi, Lynne Curtin, Alexis Bellino, Peggy Tanous, Heather Dubrow, Lydia McLaughlin, Lizzie Rovsek, Meghan King Edmonds and Peggy Sulahian.

The show's success has led for the development of The Real Housewives franchise and similar spin-off series based in New York City, Atlanta, New Jersey, D.C., Beverly Hills, Miami, Potomac, Dallas and Salt Lake City. The show has also resulted in the spin-offs Date My Ex: Jo & Slade and Tamra's OC Wedding.

## Overview and Casting

### 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. Producer Scott Dunlop, said that it was originally planned to be set in a single gated commuity in Coto de Caza, California. The show was inspired by scripted soap operas Desperate Housewives and Peyton Place, and would document the lives of upper-class women who "lead glamorous lives in a Southern California gated community where 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 (now Peterson). Bryant left after the first season. Tammy Knickerbocker joined the cast for the second season which premiered on January 16, 2007. 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 Judge (then 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

Gretchen Rossi was introduced in the fourth season premiere on November 25, 2008. 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. 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 guests. 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. Heather Dubrow joined the cast in the seventh season which premiered on February 7, 2012. Keough and Tanous appeared as a guest, while Sarah Winchester was featured as a friend of the housewives. On April 1, 2013, the eighth season premiered and the cast was joined by Lydia McLaughlin. Peterson also appeared as a friend of the housewives in the eighth season. Bellino, McLaughlin, Rossi and Peterson departed after the season.

### Season 9-13

The ninth season premiered on April 14, 2014 and introduced Shannon 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 shows 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 show.

Gina Kirschenheiter and Emily Simpson joined the cast for the thirteenth season, which premiered on July 16, 2018.

### Season 14-present

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

## Spin-offs

* Date My Ex: Jo & Slade
* Tamra's OC Wedding

Date My Ex: Jo & Slade became the first spin-off from The Real Housewives of Orange County; the dating game show documented De La Rosa as she began dating after moving to Los Angeles, where potential suitors were regularly surveyed by Smiley. It premiered on June 30, 2008, and ended on September 8, 2008, after broadcasting nine episodes during its first and only season.

After becoming engaged to Eddie Judge in February 2013, Barney was commissioned to star in the three-part spin-off special Tamra's OC Wedding. It highlighted the preparations for their nuptials and was broadcast from September 2, 2013 until September 16, 2013.