Andy Cohen Reveals Surprising Reality Show Bravo Refused to Reboot

Andy Cohen spilled the tea on a reality TV reboot that wasn’t meant to be.

Cohen has had a long career with Bravo TV.  The “Watch What Happens Live” host started at the network in 2004 as Vice President, Original Programming, per his Bravo.com bio. During that time, Cohen helped launch a slew of groundbreaking unscripted programs including “Project Runway,” “The Millionaire Matchmaker,” “Shahs of Sunset” and “Queer Eye For the Straight Guy.” In 2011, Cohen was named Bravo’s Executive Vice President of Development and Talent, and by 2014, his role at the network shifted to his work on WWHL, on which he still serves as host and executive producer.

In a June 2022 interview, Cohen explained why Bravo refused to reboot one of the most popular shows he helped spearhead – and why he agreed with the decision.

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Andy Cohen Explained Why Bravo Had No Interest in Doing the ‘Queer Eye’ Reboot

Cohen was on deck when “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” first aired on Bravo from 2003 to 2007. The show featured a team of gay designers and fashiniostas who gave lifestyle and grooming makeover to straight men in need. The show starred Ted Allen, Kyan Douglas, Thom Filicia, Carson Kressley, and Jai Rodriguez, per The Wrap.

In a June 6, 2022 interview on Sirius XM’s “Jeff Lewis Live,” Cohen revealed that when talk of a “Queer Eye for the Straight Eye” reboot came up, Bravo gave the idea a hard pass. The show was ultimately rebooted for Netflix instead, with the shortened name, “Queer Eye,” and a cast that featured Antoni Porowski, Tan France, Jonathan Van Ness, Karamo Brown, and Bobby Berk.

“I don’t think it would have been a huge show on Bravo,” Cohen told Lewis, per People. “I don’t … I don’t think people are watching linear television in the way they are watching Netflix.”

“And I think it premiered on Netflix and people loved it,” he added. “It was going to be super expensive; ‘Queer Eye’ was a super expensive show to make. And I think Bravo probably made the right move not doing that show. I don’t think it would have been a hit.”

According to Screenrant, “Queer Eye” was recently picked up for a seventh season by Netflix and production will take place in New Orleans.

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Cohen Expressed Regret Over Shows Bravo Has Canceled

While Cohen supports Bravo’s decision about “Queer Eye,” he has some thoughts about other shows that Bravo has canceled.

“I think shows get canceled for a reason, like the ‘Real Housewives of Miami,’” he said. “The new version is really good — and the next season we’re shooting now is really great. But I don’t regret canceling it at the time. … You know what show I regretted they canceled? And I was a fierce proponent for keeping it on — ‘The Real Housewives of DC.’ I thought there was a lot that could have come [of it].”

In an April 2022 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Cohen revealed that the “Real Housewives” subgenre is one that he navigates closely and that the voyeuristic nature of the shows are the “backbone of the franchise.”  He named “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” as the “crown jewel” of the Housewives universe.

“I have this little postcard on my desk at home, and it has all of the Real Housewives cities on it,” Cohen revealed. “I see that as 10 planes we have in the air. You just have to make sure those planes stay at 40,000 feet.”

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