The Best 'Real Housewives' Seasons, Ranked By Fans Who Love The Drama
Vote up the Real Housewives seasons that deliver the drama.
Since its start in 2006, the Real Housewives franchise has evolved into a global phenomenon, changing reality television and offering an insight into the lives of wealthy women from all corners of the globe. Beginning in Orange County, the franchise quickly expanded to the wealthiest locations across the United States, as well as internationally. As the years went on, a format for the show was soon established involving conflict and resolution (or sometimes not) throughout a season arc, ending with an often-heated reunion to reflect on the season's event.
There's been endless drama over the years, and fans lap it up every time. Part of the allure of Housewives is that it showcases real life, including the good, the bad and the ugly. This has meant that some chaotic storylines have unfolded, including countless divorces, legal troubles and even a fake cancer diagnosis. Housewives fans are dedicated and have passionate opinions on which season or franchise reigns supreme, and in this list, you'll have the chance to vote for which season is the best as we explore what made the best seasons so special.
- 125 VOTES
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills - Season 5
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Cast: Kim Richards, Kyle Richards, Lisa Vanderpump, Brandi Glanville, Yolanda Hadid, Eileen Davidson, Lisa Rinna
What's The Drama: Season 5 of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills is widely considered to be top-tier reality television, with the addition of Lisa Rinna, the drama grew ten-fold and viewers were treated to one of the most explosive seasons in the shows history. Obviously, the most infamous drama of the season was the cast trip to Amsterdam when Lisa Rinna and Kim Richards came to blows over rumors around Rinna's husband, Harry Hamlin, during a chaotic dinner. You've more than likely seen the glass smash on your social media feed countless times - it's truly a moment in Housewives history.
- 227 VOTES
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills - Season 2
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Cast: Taylor Armstrong, Camille Grammer, Adrienne Maloof, Kim Richards, Kyle Richards, Lisa Vanderpump
What's The Drama: Season 2 of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills took a dark turn when Taylor Armstrong opened up about the abuse she had been facing at the hands of her husband, Russell. His suicide before the season aired shook the cast and led Bravo to delay the premiere episode. In addition to those heavy events, Camille's divorce was also a huge talking point, transforming her image as one of the most hated housewives to a more favorable light. On top of this, Brandi Glanville joined as a friend, and Beverly Hills was never the same.
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Cast: NeNe Leakes, Shereé Whitfield, Kim Zolciak-Biermann, Kandi Burruss, Cynthia Bailey, Phaedra Parks
What's The Drama: Early Atlanta seasons stand the test of time, and still feel fresh and exciting when rewatched today. Season 3 saw the introduction of Phaedra Parks, who would become a staple of the Bravo-verse. Kim consistently brought drama (and a red Solo cup of white wine) and embarked on an infamous music career that sparked some hilarious reactions from the ladies. It was light and funny, displaying the Atlanta cast at their best.
- 46 VOTES
The Real Housewives of New York - Season 8
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Cast: Bethenny Frankel, Luann de Lesseps, Ramona Singer, Sonja Morgan, Carole Radziwill, Dorinda Medley, Jules Wainstein
What's The Drama: Three words come to mind when we think of Season 8 of New York - “It's about Tom." Bethenny revealed Luann's new husband, Tom, had an affair during a cast trip to Florida. She dramatically announced that she knew about his unfaithfulness in front of the entire cast and crew. The saga that followed was one of the most quotable sequences in Housewives history.
- 56 VOTES
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City - Season 1
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Cast: Mary Cosby, Heather Gay, Lisa Barlow, Meredith Marks, Whitney Rose, Jen Shah.
What's The Drama: Before the Jen Shah legal trouble, Salt Lake City was establishing itself as a stand-out franchise from it's debut season. We were introduced to characters like Meredith, Jen, Lisa and Mary who were instantly rememberable. A stand out is the bizarre feud between Jen and Mary that began over Jen visiting an aunt in hospital.
- 66 VOTES
The Real Housewives of Atlanta - Season 5
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Cast: NeNe Leakes, Kim Zolciak-Biermann, Kandi Burruss, Cynthia Bailey, Phaedra Parks, Kenya Moore, Porsha Williams
What's The Drama: Season 5 of The Real Housewives of Atlanta introduced Kenya Moore and Porsha Williams, who both went on to become franchise royalty. It also marked another historical event - the departure of Kim. The drama was petty and hilarious, as we witnessed Kenya and Porsha feud over their competing fitness DVDs; tensions also rose during a group trip to Anguilla.
- 722 VOTES
The Real Housewives of New Jersey - Season 2
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Cast: Teresa Guidice, Jacqueline Laurita, Caroline Manzo, Dina Manzo, Danielle Staub
What's The Drama: The Real Housewives of New Jersey is one of the most recognizable shows of the whole franchise, thanks to Teresa's table flip and, more recently, the resurgence of her daughter's songwriting. Season 2 was arguably when this installment was at its strongest, with the continuation of the prolonged feud between Danielle Staub and the rest of the cast. In this season, she riles up the cast for an unforgettable reunion and crashes a charity event accompanied by Hells Angels.
- 823 VOTES
The Real Housewives of New York - Season 3
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Cast: Bethenny Frankel, Luann de Lesseps, Alex McCord, Ramona Singer, Jill Zarin, Kelly Bensimon, Sonja Morgan
What's The Drama: When it comes to disastrous but entertaining cast trips, Season 3 of The Real Housewives of New York delivers quintessential Housewives excellence. Season 3 aired in 2010, which was still relatively early in the Housewives universe, but it has stood the test of time and set the precedent for drama that fans of Housewives have come to love. The drama of the season hits its peak during a cast trip to St. John Island (US Virgin Islands), now infamously dubbed “Scary Island.” Kelly unravels in a chaotic back and forth between her and Bethenny, making for some of the most entertaining and insane Housewives footage ever.
- 917 VOTES
The Real Housewives of Orange Country - Season 10
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Cast: Vicki Gunvalson, Tamra Judge, Heather Dubrow , Shannon Beador, Megan Edmonds
What's The Drama: The tenth season of The Real Housewives of Orange County was truly gripping as Megan Edmonds took on a self-appointed detective position, uncovering that Vicki's boyfriend Brooks was lying about a cancer treatment and diagnosis. There had been nothing like this on Housewives before, and it made for a crazy reunion packed with receipts, accusations and denial. The drama of impromptu investigation like that cannot be matched.
- 1034 VOTES
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City - Season 2
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Cast: Mary Cosby, Heather Gay, Lisa Barlow, Meredith Marks, Whitney Rose, Jennie Nguyen, Jen Shah
What's The Drama: Ask any Housewives fan what the most scandalous moment of recent Housewives history is and the words “Jen Shah” and "sprinter van" will soon follow. Season 2 of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City was a jaw-dropping saga of events involving deception and fraud. It was revealed that Jen Shah had been defrauding vulnerable, elderly citizens when the FBI came looking for her during a cast trip shortly after she departed the group van in a hurry. A legal saga unfolded that was a first for Housewives, and fans were entirely hooked.
- 1113 VOTES
The Real Housewives of Potomac - Season 4
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Cast: Gizelle Bryant, Ashley Darby, Robyn Dixon, Karen Huger, Monique Samuels, Candiace Billard Bassett
What's The Drama: The Real Housewives of Potomac came out swinging when it began in 2016, but the drama was at an all-time high during Season 4. The main conflict centered around Monique and Candiace, and it culminated with Monique goading and fighting Candiace, dividing the rest of the cast for the remainder of the season.
- 128 VOTES
Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills - Season 11
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Cast: Kyle Richards, Lisa Rinna, Erika Girardi, Dorit Kemsley, Garcelle Beauvais, Crystal Kung Minkoff, Sutton Stracke
What's The Drama: Season 11 covered the over-the-top shocking news that Erika Jayne's husband and former lawyer, Thomas Girardi, was disbarred for allegedly embezzling millions of dollars in settlement funds from families of plane crash victims. The fallout has been catastrophic for Jayne, but during the season her fellow cast members were there for her. Many fans were outraged at the lack of accountability the Housewife took for benefitting from her ex-husband's alleged crimes. It's a great season, but only if you can stomach seeing some serious crocodile tears.
- 1321 VOTES
The Real Housewives of Melbourne - Season 3
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Cast: Jackie Gillies, Cheeka Keebaugh, Gina Liano, Janet Roach, Lydia Schiavello, Pettifleur Berenger, Susie McLean, Gamble Breaux
What's The Drama: Melbourne is undoubtedly the best international spin-off version of The Real Housewives franchise. The show follows affluent women in Australia, and delivers high-camp drama with some of the best comedic delivery in any installment of the show. During Season 3, cast members bicker all season long, and the cast trip to Dubai features endless confrontation and hilarious one-liners from Gina.
- 1410 VOTES
The Real Housewives of Miami - Season 2
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Cast: Lea Black, Adriana De Moura, Marysol Patton, Lisa Hochstein, Joanna Krupa, Karent Sierra, Ana Quincoces
What's The Drama: The first era of Miami had just as much drama as the post-reboot seasons, and Season 2 is a prime example. There are some familiar names for newer fans, but some of the standout drama moments came from women who aren't involved in the newer seasons, including Joanna and Karent. It wasparticularly entertaining to watch how wound up the other women would get over Karent in particular. The reunion was explosive, making for an overall underrated season.
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Cast: NeNe Leakes, Kandi, Burruss, Cynthia Bailey, Phaedra Parks, Kenya Moore, Porsha Williams
What's The Drama: Atlanta still holds the title of highest ratings for a Housewives franchise, and this is all thanks to Season 6. The season was known for the mounting tension between Porsha and Kenya, ending with an explosive reunion that resulted in fisticuffs. The series also featured a physical altercation between Porsha's husband, Apollo, and Kenya's assistant. This era marked the Atlanta housewives at their peak and exists as an archive for prime Housewives viewing.
- 1611 VOTES
The Real Housewives of Miami - Season 5
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Cast: Alexia Nepola, Larsa Pippen, Lisa Hochstein, Guerdy Abraira, Julia Lemigova, Nicole Martin
What's The Drama: The Real Housewives of Miami took a long break after its first three seasons from 2011-2013, with Season 4 coming out with an entirely new cast in 2021. That return was successful enough that the series came back full throttle for Season 5, which was especially great. Fans got the shocking details about the disintegration of Lisa and Lenny's marriage, and every single cast member brought 100 percent energy and authenticity, making it an unforgettable season. Additionally, Lea Black (a cast member from the original three seasons) dropped in for guest appearances.
- 174 VOTES
The Real Housewives of New York - Season 5
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Cast: Luann de Lesseps, Ramona Singer, Sonja Morgan, Aviva Drescher, Carole Radziwill, Heather Thomson
What's The Drama: Instantly recognizable as the season that birthed the “lady throwing her prosthetic leg” meme, Season 5 of The Real Housewives of New York deserves as place in the Housewives hall of fame. Aviva was a great addition to the cast, and her decision to throw her leg across the room to showcase her authenticity is a moment that will be remembered always. Carole and Aviva's rivalry throughout made for some great TV.
- 183 VOTES
The Real Housewives of Dallas - Season 2
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Cast: Cary Deuber, Stephanie Hollman, LeeAnn Locken, Brandi Redmond, D'Andra Simmons, Kameron Wescott
What's The Drama: The Real Housewives of Dallas didn't last too long, with some suspecting Bravo's decision not to renew the show after Season 5 was due to controversy surrounding inappropriate and offensive comments made by a cast member. Season 2, though, was when the show was arguably performing at its best, with housewives such as LeAnne bringing the drama every episode, making sure to cause feuds that would last all season long.
