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Twenty years ago, The Real Housewives of Orange County premiered – and changed the face of reality TV forever. 

Bravo’s groundbreaking series about a group of wealthy women living in an exclusive Southern California community was designed as a soapy, real-life spin on ABC’s hit Desperate Housewives. Soon more locations around the U.S. (and the world) got their own Real Housewives shows, starting with New York City in 2007. Earlier this year, Bravo’s 12th Real Housewives series premiered: The Real Housewives of Rhode Island. (International versions set in Athens; Amsterdam; Cheshire, England; Melbourne; and more locations have also aired.) 

But despite the massive success of Real Housewives, several major U.S. cities have yet to feel the Bravo love. Topping the overlooked list is America’s third-largest city: Chicago. While there have been persistent rumors that a Windy City edition of the show might be on the horizon, it’s yet to materialize. 

Andy Cohen says Bravo couldn’t find the right cast for ‘The Real Housewives of Chicago’

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Back in 2018, Jenny McCarthy quizzed Housewives producer Andy Cohen about why her hometown hadn’t gotten any Bravo love.

“Why isn’t there a Chicago Housewives?” she asked during her appearance on Watch What Happens Live. 

“Oh that’s a good question. We cast there once and we just didn’t get it right,” Cohen replied. “Yeah, it’s true.”

McCarthy was stunned the city didn’t produce enough drama for Bravo’s taste. 

“We know how to cut bitches!” she joked. 

Rumors of a Chicago addition to the franchise picked up in 2019 when RHONY alum Tinsley Mortimer started visiting the city ahead of a permanent move there in 2020. But instead, Bravo moved forward with a different show, The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. 

Last year, Bravo teased a new Housewives show, leading to renewed speculation that the Midwest could get its first Real Housewives franchise. Meanwhile, Chicago casting rumors started circulating on social media. But instead, the network launched The Real Housewives of Rhode Island. 

Is Chicago the right fit for ‘Real Housewives’?

Some Bravo viewers are baffled that Bravo has consistently snubbed the Second City. 

“Born & raised in the Chi area- and it’s about time,” one person wrote on Instagram. “The social scene here is amazing, and there is moneyyy honeyyyy.”

“Chicago has money, drama, city life similar to NY. Idk how they haven’t filmed one season with them already,” someone else wrote on a Reddit thread discussing potential Housewives cities. 

“I want some Midwest drama. I feel like we’re forgotten in the housewives universe,” another viewer chimed in.

But in a different discussion on Reddit, some people argued that despite its size, Chicago might not be a good fit for Bravo. Even wealthy people are too “normal,” one resident argued, while others thought the notoriously bad weather was a factor. Some theorized that the region’s well-off residents are more private than in other areas and less likely to seek the reality TV spotlight. Plus, the Midwest lacks the “aspirational” factor that is part of the appeal of other Housewives shows.

“If you turned on Real Housewives of Chicago, most Bravo fans would say, ‘this is familiar and relatable,’ and that’s not what keeps people tuned in,” one person pointed out.

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