The Real Housewives of Potomac

The Real Housewives of Potomac (abbreviated RHOP) is an American reality television series that premiered on January 17, 2016, on Bravo. Developed as the eighth installment of The Real Housewives franchise, it has aired five seasons and focuses on the personal and professional lives of several women living in Potomac, Maryland.

The Real Housewives of Potomac
Genre	Reality television
Starring	Gizelle Bryant Ashley Darby Robyn Dixon Karen Huger Charrisse Jackson Jordan Katie Rost Monique Samuels Candiace Dillard Wendy Osefo
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	5
No. of episodes	70 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Steven Weinstock Glenda Hersh Lauren Eskelin Lorraine Haughton-Lawson Bianca Barnes-Williams Ashley McFarlin Buie Andy Cohen
Camera setup	Multiple
Running time	42 minutes
Production company(s)	True Entertainment
Release
Original network	Bravo
Picture format	HDTV 1080i
Original release	January 17, 2016 (2016-01-17) – present (present)
Chronology
Preceded by	The Real Housewives of Miami
Followed by	The Real Housewives of Dallas
External links
Website

The current cast consists of Gizelle Bryant, Ashley Darby, Robyn Dixon, Karen Huger, Monique Samuels, Candiace Dillard, and Wendy Osefo. Previously-featured cast members include original cast members Charrisse Jackson Jordan and Katie Rost.

Overview and casting

Initially titled Potomac Ensemble, The Real Housewives of Potomac was announced on November 11, 2015.[1][2] The series is the network's second attempt to develop a reality series based in the Washington, D.C. area. The first effort was The Real Housewives of D.C. which aired in 2010 and was canceled after one season.[3]

The first season premiered on January 17, 2016, and starred Gizelle Bryant, Katie Rost, Karen Huger, Charrisse Jackson Jordan, Robyn Dixon and Ashley Darby.[4] After the filming for the second season began, Rost was fired from the show.[5] Monique Samuels was then added to the cast for the second season which premiered on April 2, 2017.[6]

The third season premiered on April 1, 2018, with Candiace Dillard joining the cast, and Jordan appearing in a "friend" capacity.[7] Jordan left the show after the third season.[8] The fourth season which began filming in August 2018, premiered on May 5, 2019.[9] The season featured Dillard's wedding and Rost as a "friend of the housewives."[10] The fifth season premiered on August 2, 2020, with Wendy Osefo as the newest cast member and Jackson Jordan appearing as a guest.[11]

Timeline of cast members

Wendy Osefo

The Real Housewives of Potomac cast members

Cast member	Seasons
	1	2	3	4	5
Gizelle Bryant	Main
Ashley Darby	Main
Robyn Dixon	Main
Karen Huger	Main
Charrisse Jackson Jordan	Main		Friend		Guest
Katie Rost	Main	Guest		Friend
Monique Samuels		Main
Candiace Dillard Bassett			Main
Wendy Osefo					Main

Episodes

Main article: List of The Real Housewives of Potomac episodes

Episodes of The Real Housewives of Potomac

Season		Episodes	Originally aired
			First aired	Last aired
	1	12	January 17, 2016 (2016-01-17)	April 17, 2016 (2016-04-17)
	2	14	April 2, 2017 (2017-04-02)	July 16, 2017 (2017-07-16)
	3	20	April 1, 2018 (2018-04-01)	August 19, 2018 (2018-08-19)
	4	21	May 5, 2019 (2019-05-05)	September 29, 2019 (2019-09-29)
	5	TBA	August 2, 2020 (2020-08-02)	TBA

Reception

Viewership

The premiere episode of The Real Housewives of Potomac received a 1.2 rating in adults 18–49 years adult demographic and 2.54 million viewers in total, according to Nielsen Media Research's "live plus-3" estimates. The episode was the highest rated premiere of any series of The Real Housewives franchise.[12] The first season of the series averaged 2.1 million viewers in the "live plus-3" estimates, becoming the network's most-watched first season of a series since The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills in 2010.[13]

Critical response

The reality series has received mostly positive reviews from television critics. Amy Amatangelo, writing for The Hollywood Reporter, said, "Like its predecessors, The Real Housewives of Potomac offers escapist TV at the highest level," and also added, "You can watch with the comfort that you would never behave this way and delight in all the ridiculous shenanigans." Amatangelo praised the show's diversity by saying that the network aims the franchise to be "an equal-opportunity offender".[14] Joi-Marie McKenzie of ABC News, reviewing the show's premiere, said, "Between the show introductions, there was plenty of shade-throwing and one-liners to keep "Housewives" enthusiasts entertained."[15]

Broadcast history

The Real Housewives of Potomac airs regularly on Bravo in the United States;[16] most episodes are approximately forty-two minutes in length,[17] and are broadcast in high definition.[18] Since its premiere, the series has airing on Sunday evenings and has been frequently shifted between the 8:00, 9:00, and 10:00 PM timeslots.[16]

References

1. Lajoie, Sandra (November 11, 2015 – April 2, 2017). "Bravo Media Announces Expansion Of "The Real Housewives" Franchise With Two New Elite Destinations Set For 2016". NBCUniversal Media Village. Retrieved November 11, 2015.
2. Andrews-Dyer, Helena (June 22, 2015). "There's a new D.C. reality show and it's not set in D.C." The Washington Post. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
3. Heil, Emily (November 20, 2015). "Why Bravo picked Potomac for the newest 'Real Housewives'". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
4. Bentley, Jean (November 11, 2015). "Bravo Announces Two New Real Housewives Series, and You'll Never Guess One of the Cities". E! Online. NBCUniversal. Retrieved November 11, 2015.
5. Andrews-Dyer, Helena (December 6, 2016). "The second season of 'Real Housewives of Potomac' could be the reality show's last". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
6. Roberts, Rachael (February 21, 2017). "9 Things You Need to Know About New Potomac Housewife Monique Samuels". Bravo TV. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
7. Quinn, Dave (March 7, 2018). "The Real Housewives of Potomac Up the Drama in the Season 3 Trailer". People. Time Inc. Archived from the original on March 8, 2018. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
8. "Charrisse Jackson-Jordan on Instagram: "I keep getting this question over and over again. Just for the record I will NOT be appearing at all on #RHOP Season 4 #justcharrisse 😘😘"". Instagram.
9. "Inside RHOP Star Candiace Dillard's Romantic, 'Incredible' D.C. Wedding: 'It Was Like a Dream'". PEOPLE.com.
10. Quinn, Dave (March 18, 2019). "The Real Housewives of Potomac Gets Heated in Fiery Season 4 Trailer". People. United States: Time Inc. Archived from the original on March 18, 2019. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
11. "Bravo Announces "The Real Housewives of Potomac" to Return on Sunday, August 2, at 9PM ET/PT". The Futon Critic. June 18, 2020.
12. Kissell, Rick (January 22, 2016). "Ratings: Bravo's 'Real Housewives of Potomac' Sails Off to Strong Start". Variety. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
13. Wagmeister, Elizabeth (April 14, 2016). "Bravo Renews 'The Real Housewives of Potomac' for Season 2". Variety. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
14. Amatangelo, Amy (January 15, 2016). "'The Real Housewives of Potomac': TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
15. McKenzie, Joi-Marie (January 18, 2016). "'Real Housewives of Potomac' Premiere: 5 Questions That Need to Be Answered". ABC News. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
16. "Shows A-Z – real housewives of potomac, the on bravo". The Futon Critic. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
17. "iTunes – TV Shows – The Real Housewives of Potomac, Season 4". iTunes Store (US). Apple Inc. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
18. "iTunes – TV Shows – The Real Housewives of Potomac, Season 2". iTunes Store (US). Apple Inc. Retrieved February 24, 2020.

External links

• Official website
• The Real Housewives of Potomac on IMDb
• The Real Housewives of Potomac at TV Guide