The Housewives by Brian Moylan

The Housewives by Brian Moylan

Author:Brian Moylan [Brian Moylan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Flatiron Books


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Maybe because of the Miami and D.C. disasters, it would take another four years for the network to announce the addition of its two newest cities, Potomac and Dallas, both of which would debut in 2016.

Much like RHONY, RHOA, and RHOM before it, these shows were initially conceived as something else. RHOP was called Potomac Ensemble and featured a cast of Black and mixed-race women in the tony town inside of the D.C. Beltway. It was (and still is) produced by True Entertainment, the same production company that makes RHOA. Unlike other shows, there were some older, established women like self-appointed grande dame Karen Huger, married to the “black Bill Gates,” and Gizelle Bryant, the ex-wife of a Baltimore mega-pastor, alongside up-and-coming society types like restaurateur Ashley Darby and Katie Rost, whose biggest claim to fame was that she used to date hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons. The show was supposed to be about etiquette and what it’s like for young people to break into society. That’s why the word etiquette has more prominence in the first season than the hair extensions that have become synonymous with Housewifery.

“So Bravo came to me and said, ‘Is there another African American cast out there that isn’t derivative, that doesn’t have the same feel?’” RHOP EP Steve Weinstock told The Wrap. “And we were able to find this incredible group of women in Potomac, Maryland, of all places. I would liken it to the feeling of [’80s prime-time soap] Falcon Crest. They’re very upwardly mobile, they’re the daughters of very old-monied families. The social grace, etiquette, class, these sorts of things are important in the context of their everyday interactions.”

Weinstock said that they looked at casts in Philly, Houston, and Baltimore, but everyone else was trying to be “too-Atlanta-y,” which they didn’t find in Potomac. Shari Levine, VP of current production at Bravo, told The Baltimore Sun that they found this cast when looking into Baltimore. They settled on the nucleus of Karen, her friend Gizelle, Gizelle’s bestie, Robyn Dixon, and mutual friend Charrisse Jackson Jordan. Both Charrisse and Robyn were wives of former NBA players. Ashley and Katie were added later as outliers.

As for Dallas, there were rumors of a Housewives flag being planted in Texas soil as far back as 2010—mostly coming from Heidi Dillon, a TV producer who was connected with some of the figures behind RHOM creator MC Filmworks, who claimed interest from Bravo as far back as 2007. In 2011, the rumors kicked up again that “socialite” Gina Ginsburg and Dillion were “interviewing other potential cast members” for a project that was potentially RHOD. They might not have been far off, since Andy told Variety the same year, “We’ve tried to mount a Texas [incarnation), but we never hit the nail on the head with casting.”

In 2012, the gossip got very intense, and some local blogs shared a purported cast list for the program. Several of the women on the list issued statements that they weren’t doing the show.



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