There are some cultural institutions so deeply embedded into my brain and psyche that I reference or quote them daily, often without realizing ā Seinfeld, Airplane!, Drop Dead Gorgeous, and, of course, the Bravo television universe. I started watching The Real Housewives of Orange County back in 2007, and have missed very few episodes of any franchise since. Sometimes, it feels like Bravo is the only TV I watch, so much so that I (unsuccessfully) tried to argue to a Spectrum cable representative that I should only have to pay for one channel as part of my cable package. Alas.
I know thereās a lot of good TV out there, but even before 2020, all I really wanted to watch was people quibbling over a stolen dress from a talk show or whether itās OK to get a boob job from a āvagina doctor.ā My deep, abiding love for the Real Housewives and their kin is such that when I started at BuzzFeed back in 2015 and was worried I wouldnāt make any coworker friends, someone told me, āJust find someone who watches Bravo and youāll be friends.ā And, reader, she was right!
Since the pandemic started, many of my friends have begun watching Bravo out of a need for addictive, low-stakes TV shows that come in mass quantities. And let me tell you, it has been thrilling to make recommendations and welcome people into the world of Bethenny Frankel and Captain Lee that I have largely lived in alone, save for my mom and sisters and some select pals. So I decided to package up those recs into a Bravo beginner viewerās guide. Like many things, my rankings and recs are subject to change, but I feel pretty confident guiding you into the Bravoverse via this list.
Top-tier shows
Below Deck S3āpresent
Below Deck is my favorite, and arguably the best, show on Bravo right now. Itās like Real World, in that a group of 20/30 somethings work together and hook up a bunch, but THEN thereās a Downton Abbey upstairs/downstairs vibe going on because there are super rich people that rent the yacht theyāre on, and they usually have their own drama going on. The cast changes up every season, which gives it good variety, but itās consistently good during these seasons. Keep a special eye out for Rocky, Kyle, and of course, Kate. And Captain Lee, obviously.
Below Deck Mediterranean S2āpresent
Below Deck Med is basically as good as regular Below Deck, even though I personally dislike Hannah, the chief stew. But! This spinoff has Captain Sandy, a queer female yacht captain! And Season 2 is just absolutely non-stop with the drama. There was one episode I will truly never forget watching in real-time, thatās how entertaining it was.
Top Chef
A truly great reality competition show! There are a lot of seasons, so if you want specific recs, my personal favorites are S2, S6, and S17 (the most recent one, which was amazing but also an all-stars one, so you might not know a lot of the people if youāve never watched before). I especially enjoy going to the restaurants of contestants, theyāve all been notably delicious.
Summer House
Terrible New Yorkers who rent a Hamptons house together. IDK why Iāve been captivated from the beginning, but it truly gets better every episode for me. No need to make it a priority, but I wanted to throw it in here. I think all seasons have been p entertaining, but it got especially good in S3, after a bunch of people got fired.
Southern Charm S1āS5
These first seasons are high-key art, and include, but arenāt limited to: people with exorbitant amounts of old money, a āhilbilly femme fatale,ā a surprise lovechild, a no-nonsense older broad who wears caftans and has a butlerā¦ the list goes on. TW: sexual assault (off-camera, but Thomas Ravenel, a main character who has since left the show and been completely denounced, is awful), gaslighting, and a lot of plantations/glorification of the South. I donāt plan to watch the new season because 1) these people are racists, and 2) the most recent season was boring/trash. But if you can put aside how awful 95% of the cast is, watch it, itās really entertaining.
Vanderpump Rules S1ā6
Truly Shakespearean. It started as a Real Housewives of Beverly Hills spinoff, but it immediately found its legs as something entirely its own. Everyone on it is purely terrible (depraved from the beginning, but many on the cast have been revealed to be pretty awful and racist recently, soā¦.). There is cheating, cheating with best friends, face-slapping, name-calling, and quite possibly some of the least self-aware people youāll ever witness. Itās soapy and trashy, and just likeā¦ classic reality TV, if thatās what you want right now.
Shahs of Sunset
IDK yāall, itās pretty problematic at times, especially recently, but the cast has truly been best friends for decades, which gives it a sense of history I really appreciate.
Now, you may noticeāand be surprised byāthe lack of Housewives in this must-watch/top-tier section. This is not an accident. Though theyāre viewed as signature Bravo properties, they are a massive time commitment, more niche, and IMO, much more inconsistent. The shows listed here have a much lower barrier of entry and feel much more fresh, at least to me. There are Housewives seasons listed below though, if youāre interested!!
If you want Real Housewives
(Ed. note: you do!!!!)
Real Housewives of New York S3āpresent
There is not a bad season (or episode) in the bunch, but the action really starts in Season 3. There are fights, sure, but these women are friends and have some fun and ridiculous moments together, and some have been on for the full 12 years, so thereās some delightful character development (or deterioration) and continuity. If youāve ever wondered how Bethenny Frankel got to be the way she is, heard of someone refer to āScary Island,ā or wondered why someone would jog IN TRAFFIC on Fifth Avenue, buckle up. Note that S3 might be a bit of a slow burn; there was a big casting upheaval after that one (for the better), and things get much more loose and fun going forward. But I think S3 is critical viewing for comparison and to get to see Bethenny before she struck out on her own.
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills S1
Itās my humble (and correct) opinion that the first season was the only good one of this franchise. Content note: suicide (one of the main characterās husbands killed himself right after the season aired, probably due to what was revealed about him as a result of being on the show, which makes it a really tough rewatch). You could also tack on S2 and S3, but only if you really like S1. The other seasons really arenāt worth it. I promise.
Real Housewives of New Jersey S1ā2
Confession: RHONJ has never been my favorite (too many family members fighting with each other), but S1 has a true villain in Danielle Staub, and the absolutely iconic table-flipping moment. If you want to hear someone yell āEngaged 19 times?! Prostitution whore!ā then by all means, check this out.
Real Housewives of Atlanta (any season)
RHOA is a good grab ān go franchise; it has its ups and downs, but itās overall pretty entertaining, with highly memorable one-liners (āWhoās gonna check me, boo?ā), some great drama (a brawl at a sexy lingerie party!), and some singular stars. Any season with Phaedra is a wild one, and if you like these women (theyāre a blast to watch), then jump in wherever and enjoy the ride.
Real Housewives of Potomac S2āpresent
I was initially attracted to this franchise because I grew up in the area, but it really picked up during S2. Some wild allegations are thrown around, and the cast has a really good dynamic now. In fact, since I first created this doc, I would elevate the entire franchise to the highest tier of housewives. The women really show their lives, get into detail with each other, and still manage to bring the entertainment. (There is literally a parrot named TāChalla on the most recent season, and his contributions to the episodes cannot be understated.) If you watch, feel free to skip S1 (and go back to watch it to compare once youāre finished with your binge).
Honorable mentions
Million Dollar Listing: LA and New York
I like both cities equally. In LA, you get campy Josh Flagg (and in earlier seasons, his wonderful grandma), Josh Altman (blech) and Heatherās romance, giant LA estates, some celeb cameos, and some real cutthroat competition. In New York, you get my love Ryan Serhant, kooky Fredrik Eklund, a peek into some wildly overpriced New York City apartments, and also some cutthroat competition. Itās as much about their interpersonal and personal dramas as it is about real estate, and I love it! You could start from the beginningāI actually donāt think I ever watched the first few seasons of either franchise, so it doesnāt matterāor you can jump in around S3/S4 and still enjoy it.
Family Karma
This is the newest of the bunch; thereās only been one season and it aired this spring. I loved it! It follows a bunch of 20- and 30- something Indian Americans living in Florida AND their parents, and the parents have maybe even better drama than their kids. I really really hope theyāre able to film another season, I am invested in these people.
Real Housewives of Melbourne
IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND!!! But if you can, watch it. Iāve only been able to see the first 3ā4 seasons and was obsessed, but then they stopped airing it in the US and Iāve been sad ever since.
Real Housewives of Dallas
Theyāre racist, Trump-supporting assholes, but there were some real unhinged highlights in S2 and S3, if you can stomach it.
Bonus: Canceled Shows I Love
Bethenny Getting Married/Ever After
Ladies of London
NYC Prep
Millionaire Matchmaker
Old seasons of Project Runway, pre-move to Lifetime (itās been meh ever since it came back to Bravo)
***my mom dearly misses Princesses: Long Island, but I never watched it. Threw it in here anyway since sheās a real Bravo fan. šŗ
š
