| The Real Housewives of Potomac | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Reality television |
| Starring |
|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 7 |
| No. of episodes | 126 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Camera setup | Multiple |
| Running time | 42 minutes |
| Production company | True Entertainment |
| Release | |
| Original network | Bravo |
| Picture format | HDTV 1080i |
| Original release | January 17, 2016 – present |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | The Real Housewives of Miami |
| Followed by | The Real Housewives of Dallas |
| Related | Karen's Grande Dame Reunion |
The Real Housewives of Potomac (abbreviated RHOP) is an American reality television series that premiered on January 17, 2016, on Bravo. It has aired six seasons and focuses on the personal and professional lives of several women living in and around Potomac, Maryland.
The cast of the current seventh season consists of Gizelle Bryant, Ashley Darby, Robyn Dixon, Karen Huger, Candiace Dillard Bassett, Wendy Osefo, and Mia Thornton, with former housewife Charrisse Jackson-Jordan and newcomer Jacqueline Blake serving as "friends of the housewives". Other previously featured cast members include Katie Rost and Monique Samuels.
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, Ashley Darby, Robyn Dixon, Karen Huger, Charrisse Jackson-Jordan and Katie Rost.[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 Bassett 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] It also marked as Rost's final appearance of the season after not being invited to the fourth season's reunion taping.[11]
The fifth season premiered on August 2, 2020, with Wendy Osefo as the newest cast member, and Jackson Jordan appearing as a guest.[12] In December 2020, Samuels announced her departure from the series.[13][14]
The sixth season premiered on July 11, 2021, with new housewife Mia Thornton and friend of the housewives Askale Davis joining.[15]
The seventh season premiered on October 9, 2022, with Davis departing, former housewife Charrisse Jackson-Jordan returning as a friend of the housewives, alongside Jacqueline Blake.[16] Former cast members Rost and Davis both made a guest appearance.
| Cast member | Seasons | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |||
| Gizelle Bryant | Main | ||||||||
| Ashley Darby | Main | ||||||||
| Robyn Dixon | Main | ||||||||
| Karen Huger | Main | ||||||||
| Charrisse Jackson-Jordan | Main | Friend | Guest | Friend | |||||
| Katie Rost | Main | Guest | Friend | Guest | |||||
| Monique Samuels | Main | ||||||||
| Candiace Dillard Bassett | Main | ||||||||
| Wendy Osefo | Main | ||||||||
| Mia Thornton | Main | ||||||||
| Friends of the housewives | |||||||||
| Askale Davis | Friend | Guest | |||||||
| Jacqueline Blake | Friend | ||||||||
|
Main article: List of The Real Housewives of Potomac episodes |
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | Average Viewers | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | ||||
| 1 | 12 | January 17, 2016 | April 17, 2016 | 1.62 | |
| 2 | 14 | April 2, 2017 | July 16, 2017 | 1.40 | |
| 3 | 20 | April 1, 2018 | August 19, 2018 | 1.06 | |
| 4 | 21 | May 5, 2019 | September 29, 2019 | 1.05 | |
| 5 | 22 | August 2, 2020 | December 27, 2020 | 1.03 | |
| 6 | 22 | July 11, 2021 | December 5, 2021 | 1.00 | |
| 7 | TBA | October 9, 2022 | TBA | 0.86 | |
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.[17] 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.[18]
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".[19] 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."[20]
During the fifth season of RHOP, cast member Monique Samuels got into a physical altercation with co-star Candiace Dillard Bassett. Samuels and Dillard Bassett were both charged with second-degree assault from Maryland's District Court of Montgomery County. Both women appeared in court, and all charges were dropped. [21] Samuels did not return to The Real Housewives of Potomac for its sixth season.
