The Real Housewives of Orange County

Did You Know?

• Most episodes are approximately forty-two minutes in length.
• The series has alternated airing on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday evenings.

Production

In April 2005, Bravo gave the green light to a new series initially called Behind the Gates, which was meant to have a documentary feel. By January 2006, the show had been retitled The Real Housewives of Orange County. Creator Scott Dunlop revealed that the concept was originally limited to a single gated neighborhood in Coto de Caza, California. Drawing inspiration from the scripted dramas Desperate Housewives and Peyton Place, the program aimed to capture the lives of wealthy women in a Southern California gated community where the typical home cost $1.6 million and the residents included CEOs and former pro athletes. The first season aired on March 21, 2006, featuring Kimberly Bryant, Jo De La Rosa, Vicki Gunvalson, Jeana Keough, and Lauri Peterson (then Waring). Bryant left after that initial season. For season two, which premiered on January 16, 2007, Tammy Knickerbocker joined the cast, and Bryant appeared as a guest. Following the second season, De La Rosa stopped being a regular. The third season debuted on November 6, 2007, introducing Tamra Judge (then Barney) as a new housewife, with Quinn Fry added in the sixth episode. Bryant and De La Rosa returned as guests, while Knickerbocker and Fry exited the main cast after season three. Gretchen Rossi arrived in the fourth season premiere on November 25, 2008. Peterson made her last appearance as a main cast member in the third episode, and Lynne Curtin joined in the fourth. Bryant and De La Rosa made their final guest appearances during the season finale, and Knickerbocker also appeared as a guest. Season five, which premiered on November 5, 2009, marked Keough’s final season as a full-time cast member. After Keough left, Alexis Bellino was added to the main cast. Fry, Knickerbocker, and Peterson returned as guests, and Curtin departed after the fifth season.

Spin-offs

Date My Ex: Jo & Slade became the first spin-off from The Real Housewives of Orange County; the dating game show documented De La Rosa as she began dating after moving to Los Angeles, where potential suitors were regularly surveyed by Smiley. It premiered on June 30, 2008, and ended on September 8, 2008, after broadcasting nine episodes during its first and only season. After becoming engaged to Judge in February 2013, Barney was commissioned to star in the three-part spin-off special Tamra's OC Wedding. It highlighted the preparations for their nuptials and was broadcast from September 2, 2013, until September 16, 2013.