April 6, 2011
Bravo's "The Real Housewives Of New York City"
Jim Teti READ TIME: 2 MIN.
With all the current drama surrounding Bravo's Real Housewives series, is it possible that viewers are ready to jump the shark on the program? Miami struggled to get mediocre ratings, D.C flopped, and, in the latest development, the Real Housewives of New York was postponed. The network issued a statement assuring it was due to a season that had just wrapped filming with limited editing time. However, the rumors are swirling (and still) that the show was a bore, and the cast was called in to re-shoot footage that added drama. So, what does the finished product indicate?
Honestly, regardless of whether Bravo spent money to add juicy bits during the past month, none of it matters. Furthermore, it wouldn't be the first time a so-called "reality show" was artificially tampered with by the network (*cough* Keeping up with the Kardashians). Both the premi�re and subsequent episode provide plenty of New York catty drama that viewers have grown to love.
The most interesting thing about both episodes is certainly Sonja, who, seen as a breath of fresh air last season, now rears a far more selfish, self-absorbed side (we knew you had it in ya!) Alex and Jill are still fighting, with Alex continuing to promote her new sense of self-confidence. (She's now a model) Bug-eyed Ramona is busy looking for a new assistant while ruminating the thought of introducing her own brand of wine. Kelly is still batshit crazy, and there is even a new Bethenny clone that owns a spa chain in Manhattan and surrounding areas.
It remains to be seen if the series will still retain the same appeal with Bethenny gone. After all, both she and Kelly's sparring were responsible for some of the shows greatest moments, including a meltdown in St. Maarten last year that scored high in the ratings. Still, though, the remainder of this crew is hardly short on personality, and the preview shows there's even an over the top trip to Morocco (Creator Andy Cohen's homage to Sex and the City) Also, if the drama filled opening episodes are any indication, it's going to be quite a ra-motional season.
