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Bravo introduced its first new product in the United States Housewives installment since The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City In 2020, everyone from locals to viewers from afar have thoughts about… The Real Housewives of Rhode Island.
“When we make these shows, many women have seen them before, [the castmembers] They feel like they are auditioning for a character in a so-called scripted show The Real Housewives“, says executive producer Lucilla D’Agostino.
Adds Pamela Jimenez, unscripted VP of lifestyle and docs at Bravo and Peacock, “Basically, we’ve found the magic. We’re always talking about different cities. What else is new? What’s the subculture like?”
It was actually what seemed a bit old-fashioned — or rather nostalgic — to Jimenez during a trip to the Ocean State that led to the green light for the latest series. “People are jumping on boats, and they’re doing it
dinner. Everyone knows each other and who works where. This bakery and that bakery. “I went to high school with this.” “It was absolutely amazing,” she explains. “It took me back to the early days of what was being made.” Housewives“.
Rory It follows seven women — Alicia Carmody, Rosie Demaree, Ashley Iaconetti, Liz McGraw, Rola Nehme Puntarelli, Kelsey Swanson, and Jo Ellen Tiberi — from the small New England state, with… The Real Housewives of New Jersey Cast member W Traitors Season 3 winner Dolores Catania as “The Friend.” The actors and producers are quick to point out that the group members are a bit more “unconventional” than what fans of the franchise might be used to. “You have Liz, who is a stepmom. You have Kelsey, who is dating and has been in a relationship for 10 years. And you have Rosie, who doesn’t know if she wants to have kids,” Jimenez explains.
“People get caught up in the term ‘housewife,’” adds Swanson, whose story revolves around ending the aforementioned relationship with her partner, who lives away from her for half a year and finances much of her luxurious lifestyle. [we call it]“Just a bunch of women having fun” and so be it.
Regardless of marital status, what the cast members represent is real, and viewers respond with record interest. RoryThe NBCUniversal show’s second season renewal was announced for 2026 in May, with the cable network noting that the show was on track to be its second-biggest series across platforms, right behind it. real Housewives Of Beverly Hills, which first aired in 2010. It has also garnered 2.7 million viewers in the first seven days since its April 7 premiere, making it Bravo’s biggest multiplatform debut of the year.
Viewers unfamiliar with the culture of the northeastern state, which has a population of just over 1 million, can find kindred spirits in Bachelor’s degree Franchise alum Iaconetti. “On the show, I’m still considered an outsider,” says one cast member. “[Casting] She liked me because I was going to give the perspective of someone who’s not from Rhode Island.
Naturally, Rhode Islanders had a wide range of feelings about the show coming to their area. “At first, people were very nasty and rude,” Swanson says, and she thinks her neighbors should be happy about the prospect of increased tourism to the state. “We’ve always believed that Rhode Island was a hidden gem, and it’s time for everyone to see that.”
However, as a local, the 2017 Miss Rhode Island USA was not surprised by the reaction, although she added that some residents have returned over time. “Rhode Islanders are very insular, so I knew there would be some opposition,” Swanson says. “To be honest, I’m glad it’s there. It makes winning that much sweeter when they doubted you at first.”
This story first appeared in the June standalone issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To obtain the magazine, click here to subscribe.
