Bravo's not giving up on its oranges just yet. The Real Housewives of Orange County is back for another season of laughs, travel and, yes, drama. With a franchise as massive as The Real Housewives, it can be easy to forget that RHOC is the one that started it all: the first city that launched what would become one of the most successful, recognizable, and self-sustaining reality TV franchises of all time.
With eighteen years on the air, however, not every season has been a 10/10. In fact, RHOC is enjoying a bit of a renaissance after quite a few years of a slump. With the return of some pretty important OGs, the addition of exciting newbies, and some pretty confident production, the latest seasons of RHOC have been deemed a return to form from the Bravo boss Andy Cohen himself, with the upcoming 18th standing as one of the most highly anticipated seasons of the year.
A look at five families living in a protected Southern California enclave, and the real-life housewives who reside in one of the wealthiest planned communities in the country.
- Release Date
- March 21, 2006
- Creator
- Scott Dunlop
- Cast
- Tamra Judge , Vicki Gunvalson , Shannon Storms Beador , Heather Dubrow
- Main Genre
- Reality TV
- Seasons
- 18
'The Real Housewives of Orange County' Are the Blueprint
Yes, we've had Reality Von Tease-level drama, table flips and dinner parties from hell, but none of those major moments could have happened without Orange County. The first in the series, RHOC began back in 2006, following the lives of women living in a tight-knit neighborhood in Orange County, California. For years, as the Real Housewives franchise evolved with more and more cities, Orange County remained one of the most consistent offerings, giving viewers plenty of family scenes, intense drama, and memes to permeate the culture in fascinating ways.
Related
When To Watch The 'RHOC' Season 18: Premiere Date, Time, and More
Shannon Storms Beador finally opens up about her past DUI incident.
Whether it's Vicki Gunvalson yelling for a "little family van," Tamra Judge asking if her castmate "went to Bass Lake," or the eventual Shakespearean heights of the Brooks cancer storyline, these women delivered ten-fold each time, with some serious heavy hitters coming out of the show. OG of the OC Gunvalson lasted on the show for a staggering 13 seasons and has stuck around as a "Friend Of" for three seasons after that. Judge, who joined the series in season 3, is constantly referred to as one of the best to ever do it, and breakout stars Heather Dubrow and Shannon Beador feel inescapable when discussing The Real Housewives. After over a decade of quality content, this city reached a low point for multiple years, leaving fans to wonder whether Orange County would ever be able to bounce back.
There Were Rocky Years for the 'RHOC' Franchise![]()
Season 12 saw the departure of Dubrow, a major downturn in a show that had reached the highest of heights with the drama of season 11. Wife of famed plastic surgeon Terry Dubrow and actress herself, Dubrow (referred to lovingly and not so-lovingly by her castmates as "Fancy Pants") has always helped elevate the series. In terms of lifestyle envy, she is the best you can get, with her genuine wealth never ceasing to shock and excite. After her exit, however, the show seemed to have a hard time casting beyond her, bringing on famed 100th Housewife (and one-season wonder) Peggy Sulahian and bringing back Lydia McLaughlin. Both would not return for the next season, which felt like the first true shakeup for the show, as they brought on Gina Kirschenheiter and Emily Simpson.
The following seasons brought diminishing returns, with the eventual exits of both Judge and Gunvalson, before a season that filmed as COVID-19 pandemic hit. Often referred to as one of the worst seasons, season 15 felt like a new low for the franchise, with mainstay Kelly Doddbringing the show into dark territory, newbie Braunwyn Windham-Burke giving a polarizing performance the fandom could never really wrap their heads around, and newbie Elizabeth Vargas just not clicking in any sense. This was a low for sure, but luckily (with the help of some OGs), the show was able to right itself after this.
OGs to the Rescue for 'RHOC'
For season 16, it was clear something had to change: enter Heather Dubrow. The return of fancy pants helped put the show back on track, with Bravo dropping Dodd (there was simply too much baggage there), Windham-Burke, and Vargas, while keeping Beador, Simpson, and Kirschenheiter. The show was much better than seasons past, though still not the perfect Orange County recipe. That is until the next season, last year's season 17.
Finally, the Oranges were back in full force last year. Dropping season 16 newbies Dr. Jen Armstrong and Noella Bergener (they ultimately just didn't work), the show went into its OG pile one more time to officially get Orange County back on track: Tamra Judge returned. Known for her tell-it-like-it-is approach, the time off did well for Judge, who came back swinging, aiming at just about anyone who would challenge her.
Related
Alexis Bellino Confronts Teddi Mellencamp About John Janssen
Alexis responds to criticism Teddi had of John on her podcast last year.
With Dubrow, Beador, and Judge as the show's true "core three," Orange County finally feels juicy again. Kirschenheiter and Simpson have managed to survive what seems like countless shakeups at this point, making them feel essential to the mix as well. Gunvalson has remained a presence as a "Friend Of" the series (just enough nostalgia to keep the show grounded but still able to move forward), and a newbie in Jen Pedranti proved they finally can cast a new OC housewife that can (and will) stick.
Season 18 of 'RHOC' Will Be Epic
Now we gear up for season 18, which Cohen himself has promised as "really great." He said at a panel last month, "I am knee-deep in season 18, and I want to say, [this is] possibly the best season yet of The Real Housewives of Orange County." The season trailer alone teases one of the most action-packed seasons we've seen in years, with Shannon Beador's DUI, the return of former housewife Alexis Bellino, and classic housewife feuds taking center stage.
While other shows deal with full reboots (The Real Housewives of New York completely rebooted their show last year) and rumors of shake-ups (The Real Housewives of New Jersey may look very different next year), the Orange County women have proved they may just be getting started. Renaissance eras for Housewives shows are few and far between, and no show is more deserving than the OG city. 18 years in, and these Orange County Housewives have proved that they're not going anywhere.
The Real Housewives of Orange County returns Thursday, July 11 on Bravo, with earlier seasons available to stream on Peacock.
