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The Real Housewives of Melbourne

Summary

The Real Housewives of Melbourne (abbreviated RHOMelbourne) is an Australian reality television series that premiered 23 February 2014 on Arena. It was developed as one of the international installments of The Real Housewives, an American television franchise. The series chronicles the lives of several women living in Melbourne, Australia.

The Real Housewives of Melbourne
GenreReality television
Based onThe Real Housewives
Presented byAlex Perry (s. 1–4)
Starring
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons5
No. of episodes59 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Kylie Washington
  • Lisa Potasz
Producers
  • Euan Jones
  • Virginia Hodgson
  • Philippa Rubira
Production locationMelbourne
Camera setupMultiple
Running time40–59 minutes
Production companyMatchbox Pictures
Original release
NetworkArena (2014–2018)
Fox Arena (2021)
Release23 February 2014 (2014-02-23) –
present
Related
The Real Housewives of Sydney

The series originally focused on Gina Liano, Jackie Gillies, Andrea Moss, Janet Roach, Chyka Keebaugh and Lydia Schiavello; the lineup currently consists of Gillies, Roach, Gamble Breaux, Cherry Dipietrantonio, Kyla Kirkpatrick and Simone Elliott. Of the original housewives, Moss left after the first season, whilst Keebaugh departed after the third and Liano and Schiavello after the fourth. The remaining housewives joined in later seasons: Breaux in the second, Dipietrantonio, Kirkpatrick and Elliott in the fifth. Other housewives include Pettifleur Berenger (seasons 2–3), Susie McLean (season 3), Sally Bloomfield (season 4), Venus Behbahani-Clark (season 4) and Anjali Rao (season 5).

Its success allowed for the development of The Real Housewives franchise by Matchbox Pictures and similar spin-off series based in Sydney and Auckland, New Zealand.

As of January 2024, a sixth season was reported to be in development with a new cast.[1]

Overview and casting edit

 
The cast at the 2016 Logie Awards.

Seasons 1–4 edit

The Real Housewives of Melbourne was first announced by Matchbox Pictures as The Real Housewives of Australia and was set to air in 2013.[2] On 28 July 2013, it was announced that the series had been renamed The Real Housewives of Melbourne, along with the full cast of six women. The six women include Jackie Gillies, Chyka Keebaugh, Gina Liano, Andrea Moss, Janet Roach, and Lydia Schiavello.[2] They were handpicked by the producers, from over one hundred women during an eight-month process.[3] Filming for the series began in July 2013.[3] On 21 January 2014, the official cast photo and premiere date of 23 February 2014 were announced.[4] The series at the time was the second biggest local series launch following SoHo's Wentworth.[5]

Moss departed the series after the first season.[6] On 8 May 2014, the series was renewed for a second season.[7] Brian Walsh, an executive director of Foxtel, discussed the renewal, "There is no doubt that The Real Housewives of Melbourne has been a game changer for Foxtel. The incredible reaction to our Housewives, including the blockbuster ratings, the huge social media impact and the overall buzz surrounding the series has meant the decision for another season was a very easy one."[7] In season two, two newcomers joined the show, Gamble Breaux and Pettifleur Berenger, and premiered 22 February 2015.[8] Manuela Pless-Bennett joined the series in a recurring capacity as a friend to Janet.[9] Pless-Bennett was featured in interviews and attended the reunion.[10] Friend to the wives Lisa Tonkin made more frequent guest appearances throughout the season and returned to her guest role for the second and third seasons.[11][12]

The series was subsequently renewed for a third season. All the housewives returned from the previous season, along with newcomer with Susie McLean joining the cast and without Pless-Bennett.[13] The third season premiered 21 February 2016.[14] Prior to the conclusion of the third season, on 8 May 2016, original housewife Chyka Keebaugh confirmed that she would not be returning to the series.[15]

On 11 May 2016, Lydia Schiavello revealed there would be a fourth season but filming may be delayed to film The Real Housewives of Sydney first.[16] A month later in June 2016, Liano also confirmed there would be a season four and the filming delay for the Sydney series, adding that "the original girls are out of contract now. They haven't approached us to renegotiate contracts yet."[17][18] In December 2016, season four was officially confirmed by Foxtel, also being reported that filming is set to begin in early 2017.[19] On 29 April 2017, it was announced that Berenger would not return to the series.[20] On 17 May 2017, the season 4 cast was announced, with Venus Behbahani-Clark and Sally Bloomfield joining the cast. This also confirmed the departures of Keebaugh, Berenger and McLean. However, Keebaugh did make a guest appearance during one episode in the fourth season.[20]

Season 5–present edit

In September 2019, Foxtel announced a fifth season, set to premiere in 2020.[21] Foxtel Executive Brian Walsh also confirmed the upcoming fifth season would include 'a big cast shake up.'[22] In February 2020, Bloomfield, Gillies & Behbahani-Clark announced they were departing the show, while Schiavello confirmed her return. On 19 February, the cast was released, confirming the return of Liano, Roach and Breaux, alongside the previously confirmed Schiavello, as well as the addition of Anjali Rao, Kyla Kirkpatrick and Cherry Dipietrantonio.[23] According to cast member Janet Roach, Gillies was set to return to the show, however by deciding to leave and to start a family, she was replaced by Schiavello who wasn’t originally set to return to the series.

On 18 March 2020, Foxtel has announced that filming for season 5 had temporarily been paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a statement released by Foxtel and Matchbox Pictures, “The Health and Safety of our cast and crew is our top priority”.

On 11 June 2020, it was confirmed by cast member Janet Roach that filming for season 5 was to resume in July, however she announced that Foxtel had decided to push the filming dates back to January 2021.

On 14 April 2021, Foxtel re-confirmed the cast of the fifth season with Roach and Breaux reprising their roles as well as the additions of Anjali Rao, Kyla Kirkpatrick, Cherry Dipietrantonio (who all had been previously announced). Gillies (who had previously departed) also returned to the series with new addition Simone Elliott. This also confirmed the departures of Liano and Schiavello (who had been previously set to return).[24] The fifth season premiered on 10 October 2021.[25] Following the conclusion of the season's seventh episode, Rao departed the series after one season.[26] An all cast reunion was not filmed for the fifth season, marking the first time in the series history to not feature a reunion.[27]

In January 2024, a sixth season was reported to be in development.[1]

Cast edit

Timeline of cast members edit

Main cast members
Housewives Seasons
1 2 3 4 5
Jackie Gillies Main
Chyka Keebaugh Main Friend Guest
Gina Liano Main
Andrea Moss Main
Janet Roach Main
Lydia Schiavello Main
Pettifleur Berenger Main
Gamble Breaux Main
Susie McLean Guest Main
Venus Behbahani-Clark Main
Sally Bloomfield Main
Cherry Dipietrantonio Main
Simone Elliott Main
Kyla Kirkpatrick Main
Anjali Rao Main
Friends of the housewives
Manuela Pless-Bennett Friend
Lisa Tonkin Guest Friend Guest

Episodes edit

The Real Housewives of Melbourne episodes
Season Episodes Originally aired
First aired Last aired
1 12 23 February 2014 (2014-02-23) 11 May 2014 (2014-05-11)
2 13 22 February 2015 (2015-02-22) 17 May 2015 (2015-05-17)
3 12 21 February 2016 (2016-02-21) 15 May 2016 (2016-05-15)
4 12 6 December 2017 (2017-12-06) 21 February 2018 (2018-02-21)
5 10 10 October 2021 (2021-10-10) 12 December 2021 (2021-12-12)

International broadcast edit

In the United States, the series premiered 3 August 2014, on Bravo, the same network that initiated The Real Housewives franchise.[28] The series returned for a second season on 5 March 2015.[29] However, unlike season one which aired during daytime on Sunday, season two aired during prime time – the first of the international The Real Housewives series to do so.[29][30] In the United Kingdom, the series premiered 6 November 2014, and airs on ITVBe.[31] In Sweden TV3 started airing the first series in early January 2016.[32] The series returned to Bravo for a third season on 22 July 2016, but now airing during prime time on a Friday.[33] In Canada, the series started airing on Slice in August 2016.[34][35] In New Zealand, the series premiered 25 October 2016 on Bravo, the same network that initiated The Real Housewives franchise by Matchbox Pictures. On January 19, 2022, the first four seasons became available in the United States on Discovery+ with a subscription. While the first three seasons had previously aired on Bravo in the US, this marked the first time season 4 had officially premiered, albeit on a streaming service.

Reception edit

In the United States, the premiere episode attracted 414,000 viewers, a 39% increase to the timeslot compared to the month prior.[36] The second-season premiere, which for the first time saw the series air in primetime,[29] grew on the prior season's premiere scoring 534,000 viewers.[37]

Awards and nominations edit

Award nominations for The Real Housewives of Melbourne
Year Type Award Result
2015 4th AACTA Awards[38][39] Best Editing In Television (to Paula Zorgdrager for season 1, episode 1) Nominated
ASTRA Awards[40][41] Most Outstanding Reality Program (for season 1) Nominated
5th AACTA Awards[42] Best Reality Television Series (for season 2) Nominated
2016 Screen Producers Australia Awards[43][44][45] Reality Series Production (for season 3) Nominated
2018 8th AACTA Awards[46] Best Reality Television Series (for season 4) Nominated
2021 11th AACTA Awards[47] Best Reality Television Series (for season 5) Nominated

Spin-offs edit

Judge Gina edit

In September 2014, Real Housewives producer Matchbox Pictures announced that they were considering filming Real Housewives in a second location – namely Sydney or the Gold Coast.[48] In addition, a Judge Judy-type show has been considered starring Real Housewives star Gina Liano, with a pilot episode filmed in December 2014.[48][49] In September 2015, it was again reported that producer of the series, Matchbox Productions, was possibly searching for potential candidates for a The Real Housewives franchise to be based in Sydney, or the Gold Coast.[50] On 27 February 2016 it was revealed that the producers were looking for potential cast mates in Brisbane.[51] In June 2017, it was planned that Gina Liano would receive a Judge Judy style spin-off entitled "Judge Gina". The series was to contain 40 episodes of 30 minutes. This series didn't eventuate.[52]

The concept was later redeveloped into a podcast with ARN Media's iHeartPodcast Network Australia in July 2023.[53]

The Real Housewives of Brisbane edit

In June 2023, it was revealed that a Brisbane set series of The Real Housewives had been cast. However, the series did not move forward in favour of Matchbox Pictures reviving The Real Housewives of Sydney for a second season.[54]

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Whispers over new, 'younger' set of Melbourne Real Housewives". Herald Sun. Fiona Byrne. 21 January 2024. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  2. ^ a b Knox, David (28 July 2013). "The Real Housewives of Melbourne revealed". TV Tonight. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  3. ^ a b Knox, David (9 August 2013). "The three 'Kims' rule for Real Housewives of Melbourne". TV Tonight. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  4. ^ Knox, David (21 January 2014). "Airdate: The Real Housewives of Melbourne". TV Tonight.
  5. ^ "The Real Housewives Of Melbourne". Arena TV - Foxtel Channel 105. Archived from the original on 3 December 2014. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  6. ^ Denninger, Lindsay (12 March 2015). "Why Did Andrea Moss Leave 'Real Housewives of Melbourne'? All That Fighting Would Send Me Packing For Sure". Bustle. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  7. ^ a b Knox, David (8 May 2014). "Renewed: The Real Housewives of Melbourne". TV Tonight. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  8. ^ Carbone, Suzanne (19 February 2015). "Real Housewives of Melbourne returns for season two". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  9. ^ Taylor, Jordyn (10 September 2014). "Melbourne 'Housewife' Has Real Psychic Powers, Insider Alleges". Observer. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  10. ^ Frances, Kindon (17 May 2015). "NW Gets The ELowdown On The RHOM Reunion Showdown". News Weekly Online. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  11. ^ Dennehy, Luke (5 August 2014). "Gina Liano of Real Housewives of Melbourne set to hit the big time after signing on with Dannii Minogue's manager". Herald Sun. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  12. ^ "Who Is Lisa Tonkin on 'Real Housewives of Melbourne'?". 2Paragraphs. 9 April 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  13. ^ "The Real Housewives of Melbourne returns". Sky News Australia. 11 September 2015. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  14. ^ Bond, Nick (17 February 2016). "Here's what happens when you try to interview all eight of the Real Housewives at once". News.com.au. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  15. ^ Spin, Beach (11 September 2016). "Chyka Keebaugh Quits Real Housewives of Melbourne Amid Scandalous Personal Life". All About The Tea. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  16. ^ Cartwright, Darren (11 May 2016). "Another Real Housewife bites the dust?". News.com.au. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  17. ^ Waterhouse, Kate. "Real Housewives star Gina Liano reveals her 'mixed' feelings at theatre debut". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  18. ^ "Real Housewives star signs up with Aussie modelling agency". NZ Herald. 21 October 2016. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  19. ^ Dennehy, Luke (19 December 2016). "Real Housewives of Sydney star Matty reveals: I've caused some drama!". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  20. ^ a b "Heraldsun.com.au | Subscribe to the Herald Sun". Dsf.newscorpaustralia.com. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  21. ^ "Breaking Celebrity News, Entertainment News and Celeb Gossip". Eonline.com.
  22. ^ "The Real Housewives of Melbourne | #RHOMelbourne | Arena on Foxtel". Archived from the original on 15 February 2020. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  23. ^ "Meet the cast of RHOMelbourne Season 5 | the Real Housewives of Melbourne | Arena on Foxtel". Archived from the original on 19 February 2020. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  24. ^ "The Real Housewives of Melbourne Season Five Update: Who's in and Who's Out!". Archived from the original on 14 April 2021. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  25. ^ "AIRDATE | Foxtel releases first-look promo for brand new season of REAL HOUSEWIVES OF MELBOURNE". 12 September 2021.
  26. ^ "The Real Housewives of Melbourne: Anjali Reveals The Inside Story About Why She Walked Out On The Show". Foxtel. 21 November 2021. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
  27. ^ "Real Housewives of Melbourne episode 10 recap: Toxic texts exposed". News.com.au. Nick Bond. 12 December 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  28. ^ Knox, David (1 August 2014). "US Bravo to screen Real Housewives of Melbourne". TV Tonight. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  29. ^ a b c Knox, David (18 February 2015). "Real Housewives of Melbourne set for US primetime". TV Tonight. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  30. ^ "Real Housewives down under". Tenplay. 13 March 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
  31. ^ "Weekly Highlights" (PDF) (Press release). ITV. 1 November 2014. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
  32. ^ "The Real Housewives of Melbourne Returns for Season 3: Here's Your First Look". Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  33. ^ Rosenfeld, Laura (28 June 2015). "Real Housewives down under". Bravo. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  34. ^ "Slice to Air Season 1 of 'The Real Housewives of Melbourne'". TV Deets. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  35. ^ "The Real Housewives of Melbourne About 'The Real Housewives of Melbourne'". Slice. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  36. ^ "The Real Housewives of Melbourne – Season 1 Rating". Bravo Ratings. 2 August 2014. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  37. ^ "ShowBuzz Daily's Top 25 Thursday Cable Originals 3-5-2015". ShowBuzz Daily. 6 March 2015. Archived from the original on 15 March 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  38. ^ "Australian Television: 2015 AACTA Awards (4th)". Australian Television Information Archive. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  39. ^ Groves, Don (3 December 2014). "Predestination, The Code lead AACTA noms". If. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  40. ^ Knox, David (10 February 2015). "ASTRA Awards 2015: nominees". TV Tonight. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  41. ^ "Finalists & Winners - Astra: Subscription Television Australia". ASTRA. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  42. ^ Knox, David (29 October 2015). "AACTA Awards 2015: nominees". TV Tonight. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  43. ^ "Six Matchbox Productions Nominated for SPA Awards". Matchbox Pictures. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  44. ^ "Screen Producers Australia today announced the finalists in the 16th Screen Producers Australia Awards". Screen Producers Australia. 3 September 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  45. ^ Knox, David (18 November 2016). "Screen Producers Awards 2016: winners". TV Tonight. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  46. ^ Knox, David (30 October 2018). "AACTA Awards 2018: nominees". TV Tonight. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  47. ^ Knox, David (31 October 2021). "AACTA Awards 2021: nominations". TV Tonight. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  48. ^ a b Knox, David (3 September 2014). "Real Housewives hunting Sydney, Gold Coast options". TV Tonight. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  49. ^ Knox, David (22 December 2014). "Rumour: Gina Liano for "Judge Judy-style show"". TV Tonight. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  50. ^ Molloy, Shannon (2 September 2014). "Real Housewives of ... where?". News.com.au. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  51. ^ "Producers of the Real Housewives reality television franchise scout for talent in Brisbane". The Courier Mail. Kris Crane. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
  52. ^ "Judge Gina. - WTFN". Archived from the original on 29 July 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  53. ^ "Gina Liano is back and ready to settle the score with her new podcast Judge Gina". Podnews. 17 July 2023. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  54. ^ "Real Housewives of Brisbane: Cast of ill-fated reality series revealed". The Courier-Mail. 18 June 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2024.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Real Housewives of Melbourne.
  • Official website
  • The Real Housewives of Melbourne at IMDb  
  • The Real Housewives of Melbourne at TV Guide
  • New faces stir up Housewives
  • Gamble Breaux from RHOM reveals Sydney summers with a RHOS

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