10 U.S. Cities That Deserve Their Own “Real Housewives” Franchise

Here’s a concept: What if we made Big Little Lies a reality? Well, it would be more of a heightened version of reality, but still! You’ve got the picturesque backdrops. You’ve got wine country. And you’ve got the moms. Monterey MoMs may have failed to get off the ground, but something tells me that with the resources of a Housewives production, it would be hard to stop the ball once it starts rolling.

Two words: Tech. Money. Also, I’m sorry but how has the birthplace of Starbucks and the setting of Grey’s Anatomy not had its own Housewives iteration yet? Well, back in 2011 rumors swirled (courtesy of Shari Levine, senior vice president of production at Bravo) but nothing came to fruition. All I’m saying is, Real Housewives of Amazon Prime certainly has a ring to it.

The glitz. The glam. The sin. And there is no shortage of (casino) tables to flip. The Real Housewives of Las Vegas might even look like this treat of a Hulu original, which is a tantalizing thought. Besides, I can think of at least one iconic episode in the housewives series that’s Vegas-centric, so the geographic expansion would be a natural fit, no?

I feel like with a music scene as strong as Nashville’s, there has to be more than a few mom-agers pushing their way through the crowds in cutthroat fashion to see that their offspring makes it to the top. Outings to the Grand Ole Opry or the Jack Daniels Distillery could be messy and unmissable. And aside from standard entertainment venues, you have a slew of Instagrammable hotels and even glamping grounds, like the bougie Pomelo Grove.

If the Housewives brand chose to set up shop here for a season or two, we could get a look at how the other half lives in what is one of the most tourist-heavy and obnoxiously beautiful states in the country. Think of it this way: a full season of “Scary Island.”

I don’t want to give the monolith that is the Mouse House any more spotlight than it already has, but I feel there’s untapped reality potential in the chaotic Disney-moms market. There’s also a bevy of locations with obnoxious getaway aesthetic, including a 57-acre Spiritualist Camp that’s “a point of concentrated psychic energy”—we already know psychics (re: “Dinner Party From Hell”) are a staple among the housewives—and a nudist resort.

One could argue that the Housewives franchise is in need of more marijuana and the remedy for that would be a season set in Denver. Also, there’s plenty of luxe ski resorts begging to have wine glasses thrown into fireplaces and breath-taking hiking trails with just enough room for wild tantrums.

While Bravo has apparently already given Chicago a try, they didn’t try hard enough, in my opinion. The Midwest is ripe with petty drama and what better place to start mining for it than Chicago, one of the biggest cities in the country. It’s also the new home of RHONY alum Tinsley Mortimer—a perfect jumping-off narrative!

There’s a lot of money in Boston. Like old, old money, and to be honest, that feels like enough of a qualification to warrant a season. Additionally, the deliriousness of a Housewives here could be hilariously amplified thanks to Boston’s Ivy League backdrop—“My son’s headed to Northeastern in the fall!” “Oh yeah, well my daughter got a full ride to Harvard!”

OK, OK, I know what you’re thinking: “Did you put this here just because of Mardi Gras?” And the answer is…mostly, yes. Rich culture complete with costume parties, a thriving arts scene, and countless libations—I don’t know a better potential Housewives setting! Toss in such location-centric trips as gator-spotting and a visit to the bizarre Abita Mystery House and you’ve got yourself a slam-dunk Housewives location.