Getty Andy Cohen speaks during the Hudson River Park Ungala on October 21, 2020.
Andy Cohen revealed he almost killed the Real Housewives franchise before it even took off. In a surprising new interview on Naomi Campbell’s web series, No Filter With Naomi, the Bravo bigwig admitted the inaugural season of the megahit reality franchise was nearly scrapped.
“That first season of Orange County, we had tremendous problems in the field,” Cohen told Campbell in the interview. “There was a moment in time where we considered killing the show and not actually producing the show.”
The Watch What Happens Live host explained that producers were left with a bunch of footage that didn’t make “sense,” and mulled not moving forward with the series. They only changed their tune after realizing how much money the network would lose if they took the potential series off Bravo’s schedule.
“We figured out that it would cost us $400,000 in losses if we let go of the show,” Cohen revealed. He then added that NBC-Universal president Lauren Zalaznick decided to ramp up production for the series instead of killing it.
“She’s like, ‘We’re doubling down. Let’s shoot more, let’s bring more people in, let’s do this,” Cohen said.
When the 7-episode series was launched in March 2006, it was teased to be an unscripted version of ABC’s hit drama series, Desperate Housewives.
“Bravo continues to innovate in the reality TV genre with this riveting series exploring the complicated daily lives of five privileged women and their families,” Zalaznick said at the time, per Reality TV World.
Fifteen years later, Cohen told Campbell that he owes all of his “on-camera success” to The Real Housewives franchise.
Andy Cohen Made More Surprising Revelations About The ‘Real Housewives’ Franchise
Bravo Pictured: (l-r) Margaret Josephs, Jackie Goldschneider, Melissa Gorga, Teresa Giudice, Dolores Catania, Jennifer Aydin
In the interview, Cohen dropped some surprising anecdotes about the long-running reality franchise, including the fact that the Real Housewives of Orange County was originally supposed to be a comedy series.
“At the beginning, it was very much an experiment in Orange County,” Cohen said. “The original pitch was more like a Curb Your Enthusiasm parody of life in a gated community.”
Cohen also dropped other bombshells, revealing that The Real Housewives of New York was originally supposed to be a show about wealthy mothers called Manhattan Moms.
“Because the Orange County Housewives was hitting, that became The Real Housewives of New York City,” Cohen dished. He also revealed that the Real Housewives of Atlanta was at first called The Ladies of Hotlanta.
Naomi Campbell told Andy Cohen She’d Like to See a Real Housewives Season Set in Africa
They’re making waves, picking faves and taking names! #RHODurban episode 1 now streaming. New episodes every Friday 🌶️🔥
While the Housewives went on to boast seasons in Beverly Hills, New Jersey, Potomac, Salt Lake City, and more, Campbell gave Cohen a pitch of her own.
“You know I want Africa,” she said. “You’ve got to do more than one country. You’ve got to do Nigeria, you’ve got to do Ghana.”
Cohen then suggested that Campbell should helm an African-set franchise.
“I need you to be the ‘me’ of the African Housewives, and you can do all the reunions,” he said. “You can be the EP.”
A version of The Real Housewives actually did debut in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2018, per Showbiz CheatSheet. A second series, The Real Housewives of Durban, made its debut on Showmax earlier this year, where it is seen by viewers throughout Africa, Europe, and Australia.
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