| The Real Housewives | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Created by | Scott Dunlop |
| Original work | The Real Housewives of Orange County |
| Owner | NBCUniversal |
| Years | 2006–present |
| Miscellaneous | |
| Genre | Reality |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Official website | |
| bravotv | |
The Real Housewives is an American reality television franchise that began on March 21, 2006, with The Real Housewives of Orange County. Each installment of the franchise documents the personal and professional lives of a group of affluent women residing in a certain city or geographic region. Eleven different series have been produced in the United States, and there are 21 international adaptations in addition. The American series is broadcast on Bravo; previously the Miami installment aired for a time on Peacock.
The first international adaptation, The Real Housewives of Athens, premiered on March 4, 2011. The longest-running international edition is The Real Housewives of Cheshire, which has aired 17 seasons as of now.
The American franchise has led to 27 spin-off series in all; the most successful one being Vanderpump Rules which has itself had a number of spin-offs.