Bravo's The Real Housewives of....

[JackPeyton]

Oh, Ramona was right on the money. I am gonna need both to return to fight all next year!

I am sure both H & C will be asked to return. I love them both and am glad people are coming over to Heathers side, HOLLA!

I agree. I could also go without Sonja, whom i love.

[Chris B]

Next season won't have the exact same cast because this season wasn't great ratings wise. I just don't see Aviva agreeing to return considering how this season turned for her. I think for a sure-fire ratings bonanza I would bring back Alex and Jill. They would help give LuAnn something to do and I also feel both were too popular to be let go. I understand season four was toxic, but I think it's a greater risk depending on the current wives or more new wives for ratings. This show needs a huge jolt. I could see Alex meshing well with Heather and Jill with Carole. I just think it would be a perfect cast dynamic.

[JackPeyton]

She doesnt have a choice. Multi year contract. It is totally up to them.

Just cancel the damn show instead, please.

The ratings are down because last season was so awful people were not willing to give it a chance again, and that is why they should have had an all new cast and taken a longer break and branded The New Real Housewives of NYC.

[Cat]

AMEN to ALL this.

I get that Jill "powered" story but if you want to know what it would have been like if she had stayed on the know, picture RHoNJ as it is right now and ratchet up the unwatchable factor to 1000. Jill Zarin would think herself completely untouchable if she was ever asked back. She would be completely vicious and insufferable to watch. Having her turn on cast members she deems weak is like watching somebody kick a lame puppy in the head. It is awful. Want to see straight-arrows like Heather and Carole beg Andy to be bought out of their contracts? Bring Jill back. She will crush this show under the weight of her overinflated ego.

P.S.: Hurrah for multi-year contracts!

[Gray Bunny]

So many great and not-so-great ideas (NO to Jill) for New York. I do think they finally found their groove this season and I almost feel like we could've had another few weeks worth of episodes before the season finale, but apparently they had already filmed so much already that the 3 veterans refused to shoot anymore! I think if they had just been honest and realistic right off the bat about how they introduced the 3 newbies and not pretended like they had been there all along, it would've made the transition easier.

It would be quite interesting to see a former castmember brought back as a full-time Housewife again. I nominate Alex!

I think Sonja made it past the major cast purge because she's BFF's with Ramona and they weren't gonna get rid of *that* bundle of drama! Otherwise, Sonja's pretty blah. I find her to be too aloof and shallow otherwise.

I think LuAnn's good for being a [!@#$%^&*] stirrer, but her own individual storylines are also blah (or completely made up fluff just to have a story).

I would guess that Ramona, Heather, and Carole are safe for Season 5. Sonja is mostly safe for being Ramona's bestie, LuAnn might have reason to be concerned, and Aviva probably wishes she could get the eff outta there!

Does anyone know what the ratings were like for NYC in previous seasons? Was it ever up there in New Jersey territory in viewership? I'm guessing it must've been one of their bigger hits at one point to have Bethenny be popular enough to get a spin-off.

Edited September 27, 2012 by Gray Bunny

[Eric83]

NJ and ATL are in their own league. They are the only two franchises to hit over 3 million consistently and ATL hit 4 million once. NYC was in 2 million range last season and hasn't hit it yet though it came close a couple weeks ago. OC does slightly better than them and BH Season 2 did better than both.

One of the new Miami women (I don't know their names lol) said they signed 6 year contracts. I suspect only the heavy hitting vets like Nene, Ramona, Vicki and the NJ originals could gets outs negotiated into their contract. Aviva wouldn't have that kind of pull.

[alwaysAMC]

NYC's highest ratings were Season 3 - the Scary Island series and lead up to finale were hitting more than 2 million viewers and topping 2.5 to 2.6 million on a few occassions.

Season 4's finale had the highest ratings with 2.4, but the majority of that season hovered the 1.8-2.0 million with the Morrocco episodes getting 2.1-2.2.

Season 5 hit 1.9 during St. Barts, but generally has been averaging 1.4-1.7 million.

Seasons 1-2 were 1.5-1.8 on average.

But OC and NYC are in the same league - BH is just above their league - but NJ and Atlanta top the franchise in their own leagues. OC and NYC start off averaging high 1.8s most of the first half and then start getting in the 2's... BH consistently has been getting 2s in their last season and finally hit over 3 million near their finale.

[Cheap21]

I think ATL and BH are the best series. They consistently entertain me and are less filler and boring than the others

[Gray Bunny]

Thanks for that! I wondered how NYC and OC ranked, especially since they're the longest running of the RH franchise. It's well-deserved that Beverly Hills has shot ahead of those 2. BH and ATL are definitely the best, agreed Cheap. I think Jersey's best years were their first 2 and then it fell apart, yet their numbers are still wicked strong.

[Eric83]

America loves Teresa

[alwaysAMC]

No problem!

So in summary:

Miami --> OC / NYC / DC ---> BH ---> NJ / Atlanta

Although if you count most successful in terms of ad $$, I bet NJ is well ahead of the others... and BH is second, followed by OC. I rarely see Atlanta in mainstream magazines, but I'm always seeing NJ, BH, and OC mugs. NYC used to with Bethenny, but that has stopped.

[Eric83]

The great thing about ATL is they dont even need drama to be entertaining. It is at its best when all the ladies are getting along. It seems to look that way I have seen alot of pics of them at each other's events the past few weeks (minus Kim). I am looking forward to seeing them hang out again. Taking Kim and Sheree out of the equation kind of forced the others to hang out.

Are you talking about ad revenue or who gets paid to be in magazines?

Edited September 28, 2012 by Eric83

[Cheap21]

[JackPeyton]

They would only have pull after their first contract ended tho. And even then, it is doubtful.

[Eric83]

I doubt the earlier franchises had such long contracts though and the more popular HWs negotiated something like but you're prob right considering all the recent departures like Sheree, Alexis, the NY girls, etc have all been firings. I don't think anybody has walked away in a very long time. I think when people like Vicki threaten to walk away its just all for talk and attention.

Edited September 28, 2012 by Eric83