The Real Housewives of Orange County

The Real Housewives of Orange County (abbreviated RHOC) is an American reality television series that premiered on March 21, 2006, on Bravo. It has aired twelve seasons and focuses on the personal and professional lives of several women residing in Orange County, California.

The series originally focused on Kimberly Bryant, Jo De La Rosa, Vicki Gunvalson, Jeana Keough and Lauri Waring (now Peterson). The current line-up consists of Gunvalson, Tamra Judge, Lydia McLaughlin, Shannon Beador, Meghan King Edmonds and Kelly Dodd. Of the original housewives, Bryant and De La Rosa left after the first and second seasons, respectively, while Peterson and Keough stopped filming during production of the fourth and fifth seasons, respectively. The remaining housewives joined in later seasons, Barney (now Judge) in the third, McLaughlin in the eighth before returning in the twelfth, Beador in the ninth, Edmonds in the tenth and Dodd in the eleventh. Other housewives include Tammy Knickerbocker (Season 2-3), Quinn Fry (Season 3), Gretchen Rossi (Season 4-8), Lynne Curtin (Season 4-5), Alexis Bellino (Season 5-8), Peggy Tanous (Season 6), Heather Dubrow (Season 7-11) and Lizzie Rovsek (Season 9).

The show's success has allowed for the development of The Real Housewives franchise and similar spin-off series based in New York City, Atlanta, New Jersey, Washington, D.C., Beverly Hills, Miami, Potomac and Dallas. The Real Housewives of Orange County has additionally resulted in the conceptions of the spin-offs Date My Ex: Jo & Slade and Tamra's OC Wedding.

Overview and Casting
In April 2005, The Real Housewives was announced as one of six reality television series ordered by the American television channel Bravo; before its premiere, it was renamed The Real Housewives of Orange County in January 2006. One of its producers, Scott Dunlop, commented that it was originally planned to be set in a single gated community in Coto de Caza, California. A press release issued by the network noted that the series was inspired by the scripted soap operas Desperate Housewives and Peyton Place, and would document the lives of upper-class women who "lead glamorous lives in a picturesque Southern California gated community where the average home has a $1.6 million price tag and residents include CEOs and retired professional athletes."

Its original main housewives were Kimberly Bryant, Jo De La Rosa, Vicki Gunvalson, Jeana Keough and Lauri Waring (now Peterson). Bryant left after the first season, and was replaced by Tammy Knickerbocker beginning with the second season. De La Rosa exited the series after the second season; Tamra Barney (now Judge) joined the series in the third-season premiere, while Quinn Fry was introduced in the sixth episode. Knickerbocker and Fry left after the third season, while Gretchen Rossi was introduced in the fourth-season premiere. Peterson made her final appearance on the third episode of the fourth season, and was replaced by Lynne Curtin beginning with the fourth season. Keough initially stopped filming after the third episode of the fifth season, and was replaced by Alexis Bellino beginning with the fourth episode; however, Keough was featured as a friend of the housewives in the sixth season. Curtin left after the fifth season; beginning with the sixth season Peggy Tanous and friend of the housewives Fernanda Rocha were introduced and only featured in the sixth season. Heather Dubrow and Lydia McLaughlin were respectively introduced in the seventh  and eighth seasons, while Peterson appeared as a friend of the housewives in the eighth season. Bellino, McLaughlin, Rossi and Peterson departed after the eighth season, and were replaced by starring housewives Shannon Beador and Lizzie Rovsek and friend of the housewives Danielle Gregorio in the ninth. The tenth season saw Rovsek become a friend of the housewives, the departure of Gregorio, and the introduction of Meghan King Edmonds, alongside former housewives Keough, Knickerbocker and Curtin making guest appearances.

In April 2016, Bravo announced that the series is renewed for an eleventh season. On May 23, 2016, the network confirmed that all housewives from the previous season would return together with Kelly Dodd joining the cast alongside former housewive Jeana Keough making a guest appearance. The eleventh season premiered on June 20, 2016. On January 27, 2017, Dubrow confirmed her departure from the franchise, after five seasons. In April 2017, the series was officially renewed for its twelfth season.

Episodes
See Also: List of RHOC Episodes

Spin-offs
Date My Ex: Jo & Slade became the first spin-off from The Real Housewives of Orange County; the dating game show documented De La Rosa as she began dating after moving to Los Angeles, where potential suitors were regularly surveyed by Smiley. It premiered on June 30, 2008 and ended on September 8, 2008 after broadcasting nine episodes during its first and only season.

After becoming engaged to Judge in February 2013, Barney was commissioned to star in the three-part spin-off special Tamra's OC Wedding. It highlighted the preparations for their nuptials and was broadcast from September 2, 2013 until September 16, 2013.