The Real Housewives of Orange County, abbreviated RHOC, is an American reality television series that premiered on Bravo, on March 21, 2006. It has aired seventeen seasons and focuses on the personal and professional lives of several women residing in Orange County, California.
The current eighteenth season’s cast consists of: Tamra Judge, Heather Dubrow, Shannon Storms Beador, Emily Simpson, Gina Kirschenheiter, Jennifer Pedranti and Katie Ginella; while former 'Housewife', Alexis Bellino, returns to the series as a 'Friend of the Housewives'; in a recurring capacity.
The show's success has led for the development of The Real Housewives franchise and similar spin-off series based in numerous cities across the United States, as well as numerous installments internationally.
The success of the show has resulted in three spin-offs; Date My Ex: Jo and Slade, Tamra’s OC Wedding and Glitter Town.
Overview[]
Seasons 1–3[]
In April 2005, The Real Housewives was ordered by American television network, Bravo. The show's working title was “Behind The Gates,” and was intended to follow a documentary format. 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 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 Peterson (then Waring). Bryant left after the first season as she relocated to Chicago after a health scare; but did make a cameo this season to sum up her storyline from the previous season. Tammy Knickerbocker joined the cast for the second season which premiered on January 16, 2007. After the second season, De La Rosa exited the series as a regular cast member after the breakup with her fiancé, Slade Smiley. 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.
Seasons 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; to focus on her children, while Lynne Curtin joined the cast in the fourth episode. Bryant and De La Rosa made 'Guest Appearances' during the season finale (the last in which we would see of Bryant), whilst Knickerbocker also returned as a 'Guest'. Keough's final season as a full-time cast member, the fifth season 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' in the same season that Curtin exited the series.
The sixth season, which premiered on March 6, 2011, introduced Peggy Tanous as the newest 'Housewife' as well as the new ’Friend of the Housewives’, Fernanda Rocha. While original 'Housewife', Keough, was credited as a 'Friend of the Housewives' too, 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 'Guests', with the latter receiving confessional interviews in the season's first two episodes (to wrap up her storyline), while Sarah Winchester was featured as a 'Friend of the Housewives'. Tanous was set to film another season as a 'Housewife', however, quit the series after the season's second episode due to ongoing personal conflict involving herself, Bellino and Bellino's husband, Jim; marking her final appearance on the show. 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 all departed after the season.
Seasons 9–12[]
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 a 'Friend of the Housewives'. The tenth season which premiered on June 8, 2015, saw Rovsek as a 'Friend of the Housewives' and Meghan King joining the cast as a 'Housewife'. Curtin, Keough and Knickerbocker were 'Guests' this season.
The eleventh season premiered on June 20, 2016. It featured Kelly Dodd joining the main cast and Keough appearing once again as a 'Guest'. Dubrow exited the series after the season. McLaughlin, after a three-year gap, 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 show.
Seasons 13–16[]
Gina Kirschenheiter and Emily Simpson joined Gunvalson, Judge, Beador and Dodd in the main cast for the thirteenth season, which premiered on July 16, 2018.
The fourteenth season premiered on August 6, 2019. Braunwyn Windham-Burke joined as a main cast member, while Gunvalson was demoted to a 'Friend of the Housewives' status; making it the first series not have an inaugural cast member in its main cast. Bellino and King both appeared as 'Guests'. Gunvalson and Judge both completely left the series in January 2020. Filming for the show was paused between March and July 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.
The fifteenth season premiered on October 14, 2020, with Elizabeth Lyn Vargas joining the main cast. Keough served as a narrator in the opening of the season premiere. Rovsek appeared as a 'Guest' in the fifth episode. The season served as the final season for Dodd, Windham-Burke and Vargas.
The sixteenth season premiered on December 1, 2021, with Beador, Kirschenheiter and Simpson returning, along with former 'Housewife', Dubrow, and new 'Housewives', Jen Armstrong and Noella Bergener joining the main cast. Nicole James appeared as a 'Friend of the Housewives', departing halfway through the season. Keough and Rovsek also made 'Guest Appearances' during the season. The Reunion Special was taped on March 10, 2022.
Season 17–Present[]
Following the conclusion of the sixteenth season, Armstrong and Bergener announced their exits from the show on July 8, 2022. On July 20 of the same year, Judge announced her return to the show. The following month, it was announced former The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast member, Taylor Armstrong, was joining the cast as a 'Friend of the Housewives'. In October 2022, Gunvalson was announced to be making sporadic appearances in the season (credited still as a 'Guest'); she later appeared in five episodes of the season. The seventeenth season premiered on June 7, 2023, with newest 'Housewife', Jennifer Pedranti, joining the cast.
In late 2023, the show was renewed for an eighteenth season. Filming began in late January 2024 with all cast members returning, minus Taylor Armstrong who confirmed her departure in November 2023. On January 24, 2024, it was confirmed that former 'Housewife', Bellino, would be returning to the show as a 'Friend of the Housewives'; in a recurring capacity. In early June 2024, the cast and premiere date were announced which confirmed the return of all the previous 'Housewives' from the previous season, confirmed the return (after a ten year gap) of Bellino in a recurring capacity, confirmed Gunvalson would return as a 'Guest' and confirmed the addition of Katie Ginella. Keough, De La Rosa and Knickerbocker are set to make cameos within the season in addition to The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills former and current stars (respectively), Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave and Sutton Stracke. The season premiered on July 11, 2024. Lyn Vargas made an appearance during the season’s sixth episode.
Cast[]
Season 18 Cast (Left to Right): Katie, Gina, Heather, Shannon, Tamra, Emily, and Jennifer
| Housewives | Seasons | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | ||
| Kimberly Bryant | Main | Guest | |||||||||||||||||
| Jo De La Rosa | Main | Guest | Guest | ||||||||||||||||
| Vicki Gunvalson | Main | Friend | Guest | ||||||||||||||||
| Jeana Keough | Main | Friend | Guest | Guest | Guest | Guest | |||||||||||||
| Lauri Peterson | Main | Guest | Friend | ||||||||||||||||
| Tammy Knickerbocker | Main | Guest | Guest | Guest | |||||||||||||||
| Quinn Fry | Main | Guest | |||||||||||||||||
| Tamra Judge | Main | Main | |||||||||||||||||
| Lynne Curtin | Main | Guest | Guest | ||||||||||||||||
| Gretchen Rossi | Main | Guest | |||||||||||||||||
| Alexis Bellino | Main | Guest | Friend | ||||||||||||||||
| Peggy Tanous | Main | Guest | |||||||||||||||||
| Heather Dubrow | Main | Main | |||||||||||||||||
| Lydia McLaughlin | Main | Main | |||||||||||||||||
| Lizzie Rovsek | Main | Friend | Guest | Guest | |||||||||||||||
| Shannon Beador | Main | ||||||||||||||||||
| Meghan King | Guest | Main | Guest | ||||||||||||||||
| Kelly Leventhal | Main | ||||||||||||||||||
| Peggy Sulahian | Main | ||||||||||||||||||
| Gina Kirschenheiter | Main | ||||||||||||||||||
| Emily Simpson | Guest | Main | |||||||||||||||||
| Braunwyn Windham-Burke | Main | ||||||||||||||||||
| Elizabeth Vargas | Main | Guest | |||||||||||||||||
| Jennifer Armstrong | Guest | Main | |||||||||||||||||
| Noella Bergener | Guest | Main | |||||||||||||||||
| Jennifer Pedranti | Main | ||||||||||||||||||
| Katie Ginella | Main | ||||||||||||||||||
| Fernanda Rocha | Guest | Friend | |||||||||||||||||
| Sarah Winchester | Guest | Friend | |||||||||||||||||
| Danielle Gregorio | Friend | ||||||||||||||||||
| Nicole James | Friend | ||||||||||||||||||
| Taylor Armstrong | Friend | ||||||||||||||||||
Episodes[]
Main Article: The Real Housewives of Orange County - Episode Guide
| Season | Episodes | Season Premiere | Season Finale | Reunion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | March 21, 2006 | May 2, 2006 | May 9, 2006 |
| 2 | 10 | January 16, 2007 | March 13, 2007 | March 20, 2007 |
| 3 | 12 | November 6, 2007 | January 22, 2008 | January 29, 2008 |
| 4 | 15 | November 25, 2008 | February 17, 2009 | February 24, 2009 |
| 5 | 17 | November 5, 2009 | March 5, 2010 | March 10, 2010 March 11, 2010 |
| 6 | 16 | March 6, 2011 | June 5, 2011 | June 12, 2011 June 13, 2011 |
| 7 | 23 | February 7, 2012 | June 26, 2012 | July 10, 2012 July 16, 2012 |
| 8 | 22 | April 1, 2013 | August 5, 2013 | August 12, 2013 August 19, 2013 August 26, 2013 |
| 9 | 21 | April 14, 2014 | August 18, 2014 | August 25, 2014 September 1, 2014 |
| 10 | 24 | June 8, 2015 | November 12, 2015 | October 19, 2015 October 26, 2015 November 1, 2015 |
| 11 | 21 | June 20, 2016 | October 31, 2016 | November 7, 2016 November 14, 2016 November 21, 2016 |
| 12 | 21 | July 10, 2017 | November 13, 2017 | November 20, 2017 November 27, 2017 |
| 13 | 21 | July 16, 2018 | November 19, 2018 | November 25, 2018 December 2, 2018 December 9, 2018 |
| 14 | 23 | August 6, 2019 | December 17, 2019 | December 18, 2019 December 23, 2019 December 26, 2019 |
| 15 | 16 | October 14, 2020 | January 13, 2021 | January 20, 2021 January 27, 2021 |
| 16 | 19 | December 1, 2021 | April 13, 2022 | April 20, 2022 April 27, 2022 |
| 17 | 18 | June 7, 2023 | September 27, 2023 | October 4, 2023 October 11, 2023 |
| 18 | TBA | July 11, 2024 | TBA | TBA |
Broadcast History[]
The Real Housewives of Orange County airs regularly on Bravo in the United States; most episodes are approximately forty-two minutes in length, and are broadcast in standard definition and high definition. Since its premiere, the series has alternated airing on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday evenings and has been frequently shifted between the 8:00, 9:00, and 10:00 pm timeslots.
Spin-Offs[]
Date My Ex: Jo and 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 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.
Trivia[]
- This is the original installment of The Real Housewives franchise.