Andy Cohen with the stars of the RHONY reboot Ubah Hassan, Jessel Taank, Erin Lichy, Jenna Lyons, Sai De Silva, and Brynn Whitfield

Why the ‘RHONY’ Reboot May Be the Reason Behind the ‘RHOC’ Season 17 Delay

The ‘RHONY' reboot might be getting in the way of the return of our favorite ladies from ‘Orange County.'

by Perry Carpenter

Published on March 16, 2023

3 min read

‘RHONY’ reboot is why ‘RHOC’ has been delayed

Season 16 of the Real Housewives of Orange County wrapped up last April, and production of the new season finished back in November. Although it has been months since the ladies were in front of the cameras, Bravo has yet to announce a premiere date for season 17.

While viewers have speculated about the delay, an insider told Bravo and Cocktails that other Real Housewives franchises are to blame. The source revealed that Bravo wants to release RHOC, RHOA, and RHONY within a few weeks of each other starting in May.

“Wondering why season 17 of OC hasn’t aired yet? It’s because Bravo is theming its summer lineup with the three fruits in their basket; RHONY 14, RHOC 17, and RHOA 15,” the insider shared. “They will all start airing within a week or two’s span of each other starting mid-May (after RHONJ 13 has finished airing) and will all wrap up by August/September.”

The source noted that Bravo wants RHOC to kick things off, which is why the network hasn’t set an official release date for season 17. Apparently, RHONY is undergoing a major reboot that has slowed everything down. Bravo is waiting for RHONY to wrap things up before they commit to a premiere date for RHOC.

‘RHONY’ will see significant changes in season 14

The Real Housewives of New York City is in the midst of a significant revamp. According to Deadline, Andy Cohen recently opened up about the changes to RHONY in the upcoming season.

In an episode of Watch What Happens Live, the Bravo host declared that the new season will feature highly fashionable cast members who bicker about trivial things, much like fans witnessed in the early seasons of RHONY.

“They’re super fashionable. The things that they are arguing about are as ridiculous as early RHONY,” Cohen stated. “I think it’s going to be a different show. It’s so hard because everyone is going to compare it to RHONY, which was so perfect. And I hope this is perfect in a totally different way.”

At BravoCon in October 2022 the new cast of RHONY was unveiled — which will feature Jenna Lyons, Brynn Whitfield, Erin Dana Lichy, Jessel Taank, Lizzy Savetsky, Sai De Silva, and Ubah Hassan. Of course, Lizzy departed from the show after filming began, citing “antisemitic attacks” as her reason for doing so.

It is unclear how far into filming Lizzy got before she left, but the drama surrounding her is sure to take center stage when the series premieres this summer.

Everything we know about season 17 of ‘RHOC’

As far as the Real Housewives of Orange County goes, the cast completed filming a few months ago. In season 17, fans can expect to see the likes of Tamara Judge, Emily Simpson, Shannon Beador, Gina Kirschenheiter, and Heather Dubrow return to the small screens.

Dr. Jen Armstrong and Noella Bergener, meanwhile, will not be coming back to RHOC this season. But fans will be treated to the return of Taylor Armstrong, who was a part of three seasons of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Taylor is the first person to cross franchises.

RHOC OG Vicki Gunvalson will also appear in a few scenes this season, though she is not listed as a full-time cast member. The reality star confirmed her involvement on social media, promising that viewers will get to see her a few times on camera.

Stay tuned for premiere date announcements for both the RHONY reboot and season 17 of RHOC.