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Andy Cohen's hit series The Real Housewives has become one of the most well-established reality TV franchises. Not just in the United States, where it first debuted, but all over the world.
The first of the series to debut was The Real Housewives of Orange County in 2006. Soon after the success of that show came The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, New York, Atlanta, and many others. But fans of the series that debuted in the U.S. might be interested to learn that there are over a dozen international versions. The Real Housewives has branched out of the U.S. and into countries/continents like Canada, England, Greece, and Africa. Here is some info about just a few of the many international versions of The Real Housewives.
8 The Real Housewives Of Melbourne Was Nominated For Several Awards
RHOM was the first of the three Australian versions of the show to premiere, with more likely to follow in the future. It is one of the few versions of the show to receive multiple award nominations in a variety of competitions. Although it was not the winner in any of the following categories, the show was nominated for four Australian Academy of Cinema And Television Arts Awards, an ASTRA award, and a Screen Producers of Australia Award.
7 The French Version Has A Unique Name
Of course, in a country where English is not the national language, one can only expect the show to have an alternative title. Many of the show's titles are simply retranslated into their country's native language, but the French title has a unique name in that it is simply Les Vraies Housewives, which in French means The Real Housewives. Meaning the title singles them out in a way from all the other franchises as it is not Real Housewives of France or Real Housewives of Paris etc. The show, unlike most other versions, was panned by local critics. French reviews called the show a "mirror of stupidity." It only aired for one season.
6 There Are 5 African Versions
Although the series has yet to branch into East Asia or South America, it has off-shoots in Eastern Europe and Africa. There are a total of 5 African versions of Real Housewives, Real Housewives of Lagos (which is Nigeria), Real Housewives of Johannesburg, Capetown, and Durban (all of which are in South Africa), and an upcoming show in Kenya, Real Housewives of Nairobi.
5 A UK Version Is One Of The Longest Running Series
The Real Housewives franchises in the U.S. vary in how many seasons each one has to its name. For example, the original RHOC has 17 seasons as of 2022, whereas Real Housewives of Dallas only has 5. Most of the international versions have one or two seasons, and some have a few more, but only one has almost as long of a tenure on air as RHOC. Real Housewives of Cheshire, a U.K. version, has 15 seasons and counting as of 2022.
4 The Greek Version Got A Bad Review From The New York Times
Reviews of reality shows are often mixed. Fans of the genre will be merciful whereas more, let's say artistic-minded, critics are not usually into the drama surrounding the lives of TV personalities. The New York Times, one of the most popular and longest running newspapers in the world, absolutely panned The Real Housewives of Athens because the show aired when Greece was in the middle of a major financial crisis that left thousands of Greeks in poverty. "The Greek adaptation had a depressive undertone that might have matched the national mood, but didn’t provide viewers with a frothy escapist kick. Wealthy Greeks aren’t flaunting their lifestyles these days..."
3 The New Zealand Version Is About Hard Partiers
On a lighter note, the series still offers plenty of drama and its cast all have the same or similar quirks that make the show attractive to fans. For example, in RH Melbourne, one of the show's stars (Jackie Gillis) is a self-proclaimed psychic. But if one is looking for the party energy that is synonymous with the RH franchises, Real Housewives of Auckland (New Zealand) might be the show for them. Executive producer Kylie Washington said this of the show in a promotional interview "people who are the life of the party – the party is them – it's around them, so it doesn't matter where they are, something's always happening."
2 They Don't All Air On Bravo
With the exception of RH Aukland, none of the other international versions air on the Bravo network. They air on various other channels, similar to Bravo, in their prospective countries. This is because 1. Bravo is not offered in every country and 2. International distributors often differ from domestic ones.
1 The Dubai Version Originated In The US
There is one international version that debuted and aired on American television to a huge amount of controversy. Real Housewives of Dubai (United Arab Emirates) debuted in 2022 and airs exclusively on Bravo. Its main cast members are Nina Ali, Chanel Ayan, Caroline Brooks, Sara Al Madani, Lesa Milan, and Caroline Stanbury.
