The Real Housewives of Orange County is a reality television program on the Bravo network. It is the first installation in the The Real Housewives of... series. Created by Orange County producer and Coto de Caza resident Scott Dunlop, the show was initially set primarily in the gated community of Coto and followed the lavish livestyles of five "housewives" and their families who resided within Coto McMansions, with the exception of one housewife (Lauri Waring Peterson), who lived in comparatively reduced financial circumstances in a Ladera Ranch, California townhouse. This housewife exception to the rule was used in season 1 to directly contrast with the money-laden existence of the other four housewives who lived behind the Coto gates. However, the show has since expanded its filming locations to include Rancho Santa Margarita, Ladera Ranch, San Juan Capistrano, San Clemente, Costa Mesa, and Newport Coast, and downplayed the exclusivity of living behind the gates of Coto. For example, the opening credits removed the commentary saying, "There's a mystique of living behind the gates."
History
The show's title and introduction alludes to the ABC show Desperate Housewives as well as the Fox teen drama The OC and touts itself as these two fictional shows' "real-life" counterpart. Unlike a true documentary, however, Bravo has monetarily compensated the show participants for their filming time. The show's first season premiered on March 21, 2006. The five original housewives were Kimberly Bryant, Jo De La Rosa, Vicki Gunvalson, Jeana Keough and Lauri Waring. Season 1 consisted of 8 episodes, including the reunion. The show's second season premiered on January 16, 2007. Four of the five original housewives returned, with the exception of Kimberly Bryant who was replaced by Tammy Knickerbocker. Season 2 consisted of 10 episodes, including the reunion. Season 3 premiered on November 9, 2007 with De La Rosa replaced by new housewife, Tamra Barney. Season 3 consisted of 12 episodes, including the reunion. Additionally, midway through this season, a sixth housewife was introduced to the cast, Quinn Fry. With the introduction of Barney and Fry and Waring's move to San Juan Capistrano, the scope of the show widened its narrow focus that used to emphasize the privilege and exclusivity of living in gated Coto de Caza to purport the general luxury and materialism of living in the Orange County environment. For example, Waring comments in the opening credits of season 3 that she is now "living the Orange County lifestyle again" with her new wealthy fiance. BravoTV announced the series' fourth season renewal with the return of three original housewives, Gunvalson, Keough, Peterson and season 3 housewife Barney. A new housewife, Gretchen Rossi, replaces Season 2 housewife Knickerbocker and season 3 housewife Fry both of whom did not return. To compensate for the mid-season departure of Peterson, another new housewife, Lynne Curtin, joined the cast. This season premiered on November 25, 2008. Season 4 consisted of 15 episodes, including the reunion and a 'Lost Footage' special.. In June 2009, BravoTV announced the renewal of the show for a fifth season with the entire season 4 cast returning. A sixth housewife, Newport Beach resident, Alexis Bellino, will be added to the cast as the newest housewife.
Spinoffs
The "Real Housewives" moniker once synonymous only with The Real Housewives of Orange County now denotes a franchise with a number of spin-off series that air on BravoTV.
In the wake of the success of the original show, the first spin-off, The Real Housewives of New York City , premiered on March 4, 2008.
BravoTV also announced the development of two additional "Housewife" spin-offs called, The Real Housewives of New Jersey , and The Real Housewives of Atlanta , with the latter premiering on October 7, 2008. The Real Housewives of New Jersey subsequently premiered on May 12, 2009.
In the spring of 2009, BravoTV announced the creation and casting of another spin-off called The Real Housewives of Washington DC .The fifth season of The Real Housewives Of OC will premiere on November 5.
Additionally, season 1 housewife, De La Rosa, received her own dating show spin-off ( Date My Ex: Jo & Slade ) in which a group of bachelors competed to become her new love interest. This spin-off premiered on BravoTV on July 21, 2008.
Cast Lists
Cast Members
Current Housewives
- Vicki Gunvalson (all seasons)
- Tamra Barney (Season 3-)
- Lynne Curtin (Season 4-)
- Gretchen Rossi (Season 4-)
- Alexis Bellino (Season 5-)
Past Housewives
- Kimberly Bryant (Season 1)
- Jo De La Rosa (Season 1-2)
- Quinn Fry (Season 3)
- Tammy Knickerbocker (Season 2-3)
- Lauri Waring Peterson (Season 1-4)
- Jeana Keough (Seasons 1-5)
Current Housewives
Tamra Barney
42-year old Chula Vista native Barney joined the cast in season 3 through a casting call launched on the BravoTV website. She lives in Ladera Ranch with her second husband of 10 years, Simon Robert (born 1964). She recently became a real estate agent in Coto de Caza and Ladera Ranch to achieve a sense of "value" in her family dynamic. However, she makes it clear that her job does not provide her family with its primary financial support and that her husband is actually her family's breadwinner. Her family includes three children from her current husband: Sidney, Spencer, and Sophia all of whom are under the age 10. Barney also has a 21 year old son, Ryan, from her first marriage. In season 3, Ryan moved back in with Barney after leaving the family home at age 18 because of his contentious relationship with Simon. Although Ryan's relationship with Simon has not improved, without a college education and a job, he is forced to move back in with Barney and Simon. Season 3 documents the strain that Ryan imposes upon Barney and Simon's marriage. In response, Simon has Ryan sign a contract listing conditions which Ryan must meet to continue living in his house. After three months of living with Barney and Simon, Ryan begrudgingly accepts a parts picker job paying only $10/hour at the Newport Beach auto dealership where Simon works. Simon gives Ryan the opportunity to attend Universal Technical Institute , which specializes in auto mechanics. By the end of season 3, Ryan moved out of Barney and Simon's home to live with his grandmother.
As a new real estate agent working the same territory as Keough (a more established realtor), Barney expresses feelings of competitiveness with her. Barney asserts that "it won't be long before she's kicking Jeana's butt" when it comes to selling real estate in Coto. Citing the relative slowness of the Southern California real estate market, she is very pleased that she has four listings explaining that a good-looking female realtor will always make money in Orange County. She flamboyantly calls herself the "hottest housewife in Orange County" and works especially hard to keep herself looking "hot" as she approaches the dreaded 40 during season 3.
In season 4, Simon has left Fletcher Jones to become a tequila salesman. He now spends most of his time at home with Barney and their three small children. Barney has also left employment as a real estate agent citing the severe slow down of the real estate market. Barney's eldest son, Ryan, lives on his own since leaving the low paying job that Simon gave him at his former employer to work construction at a higher pay. However, Ryan's lack of career focus and lifestyle choices continue to be a contentious issue for himself and his parents during this season.
Barney and Gunvalson grow closer in season 4 taking vacations together out of town (an anniversary weekend in Napa, California and New Year's vacation to Las Vegas, Nevada) and teaming up at an "Housewife" event during opening day at Del Mar Racetrack. While Curtin, Keough, and Rossi socialized with one another in the private box, Barney and Gunvalson (and their husbands) stayed close to one another avoiding Curtin and Rossi, prompting Keough to call them cliquey. Barney explains that their closeness is because she and Gunvalson "share a lot of the same values" and that "Vicki and Donn will be lifelong friends."
In September, 2009, the Barneys received a Notice of Default on their house.
Alexis Bellino
In July, 2009, Bravo TV announced that a new "housewife", Alexis Bellino, had been signed for the upcoming fifth season. Bellino is a 32-year-old (in 2009) stay-at-home mother of three young children. She is in her second marriage, to 47-year-old Jim, a house-flipper/pawnbroker.
Bellino was raised in a small town in Missouri, but she now resides in Newport Beach.
In the press release announcing her casting, Bravo described Bellino as someone who "likes to work out to keep herself looking and feeling her best" and as a "“spicy blonde who unabashedly lives life on her terms."
Lynne Curtin
On December 16, 2008, 52-year old Capistrano Beach resident Curtin, joined the cast in the fourth episode of season 4 to replace Waring Peterson. She
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