The Real Housewives

The Real Housewives is an American reality televisionfranchise that began on March 21, 2006, with The Real Housewives of Orange County. Each installment of the franchise documents the personal and professional lives of a group of affluent women residing in a certain city or geopolitical region. Eleven different series have been produced in the United States, with one additional series set in the United Arab Emirates. In addition, there are 32 international adaptations. The American series is broadcast on Bravo. Previously, the Miami installment aired for a time on Peacock.

The first international adaptation, The Real Housewives of Athens, premiered on March 4, 2011. The longest-running international edition is The Real Housewives of Cheshire, which had just finished airing its nineteenth season.

The American franchise has led to 28 spin-off series in all, the most successful being Vanderpump Rules, which has itself had a number of spin-offs.