Every American Real Housewives Series, Ranked From Worst To Best

Splashy, sassy, and filled with drama, where would the entertainment world be without the "Real Housewives" franchise? Laden with glamour but also loaded with fights, messy breakups, class-based squabbles, and other fol-de-rol, it's become an institution in the reality television world, one so successful that it's spawned a mega-franchise.

It all began in 2006 with "The Real Housewives of Orange County," which begat "The Real Housewives of New York City." From those two series, nine more "Real Housewives" programs have popped up, and that's not even including the sheer metric ton of spin-offs each show has spawned, like "Vanderpump Rules" and "Welcome to Crappie Lake." To say that the "Real Housewives" world has defined the reality show format over the '10s and into the '20s is no exaggeration.

But which of those shows is the most entertaining? Which is the dullest? And which just plain falls into the middle of the pack, depending on which season you're watching? Here's a ranking of every American "Real Housewives" series, from the worst to the best.

It might be mean to pick on the new kid on the block — especially one that so recently had its production paused, with its fate still hanging in the balance — but "The Real Housewives of Dubai" occupies the bottom slot on this list for a good reason: it's terribly dull. The best thing about the show happens to be its central housewives. Caroline Stanbury became a crowd favorite for her villainy during the show's brief run, while fans liked Chanel Ayan for her kindness. Another positive is that the lush scenery and expensive world of Dubai means there are plenty of fun outings for the girls and lots of glittery eye candy for the voyeuristic viewer. It reveals something about the core of the ERA expat community in spite of itself.

And yet, despite all of that beauty and potential, there's a feeling of sameness among the cast. Caroline needs a heroine to bump off of, and most of the other women just don't play ball with her at all on that front. The end result is two disappointing seasons that should be divine but are just plain meh.

• Creator: Janero Marchand
• Showrunner: Mary Agnes
• Cast: Sara Al Madani, Caroline Stanbury, Caroline Brooks, Chanel Ayan, Lesa Milan, Taleen Marie Khanoyan, Nina Ali, Yasmine Habib, Taj Pillott, Saba Yussouf
  
• Number of episodes: 29
• Where to watch: Peacock, Bravo, Apple TV, YouTube, Fandango, Amazon Prime.

Planting a "Real Housewives" series square dab in the middle of America's political hub should guarantee good drama. Unfortunately, bringing personal foibles and glittery excess to the world of government policy didn't translate to getting any extra eyeballs on the program. Suffering from poor audience reactions, it became the very first "Housewives" installment to be canceled, and the only one to last a single season.

All of the show's drama stemmed from the social climbing of Michaele and Tareq Salahi, whom talk show host Andy Cohen would eventually blame when the show failed to be renewed after they allegedly crashed a state dinner at the White House in 2010. But beyond that one flash of dramatics, there's very little reason to recommend this season; there's no lively spark here, no juice, no sparkle. It's a true shame, but its general concept lives on in the much more successful "Real Housewives of the Potomac." 

• Creator: Scott Dunlop
• Showrunner: n/a
• Cast: Mary Schmidt Amons, Lynda Erkiletian, Stacie Turner, Catherine Ommanney, Michaele Salahi
• Number of episodes: 11
• Where to watch: Peacock, Bravo, Apple TV, Fandango, Amazon Prime.

They say everything's bigger in the South, but when it comes to this Texas-fried series, it pales in comparison to "RHOA" and other legendary incarnations of the franchise. That said, it lasted for five seasons before the plug was pulled; a sixth season was going through test filming before it was shelved indefinitely. While "Dallas" deserved a slightly better fate than "Dubai" — the latter show lacked spirit, and "Dallas" had plenty of that je ne sais quoi — it only managed to produce a handful of memorable moments during its run.

LeeAnne Locken, one of the franchise's most memorable housewives, became infamous for her feud with Cary Deuber, a shared animosity that led to an off-mic, foul-mouthed rant in which she suggested that Deuber's husband was less than faithful in their marriage. Plenty of other spirited silliness went down over the course of five seasons, some of it absolutely unsafe for work. That makes the show worth binging, though it's far from the most vital installment in the franchise.

• Creator: Scott Dunlop
• Showrunner: n/a
• Cast: Brandi Redmond, Stephanie Hollman, Kameron Westcott, D'Andra Simmons, LeeAnne Locken, Cary Deuber, Kary Brittingham, Dee Simmons, Tiffany Moon, Tiffany Hendra, Olivia Sendra, Marie Reyes, Jennifer Davis, Heidi Dillon
  Number of episodes: 81
• Where to watch: Peacock, Bravo, Apple TV, YouTube, Fandango, Amazon Prime.

A newer kid on the "Housewives" block, "Miami" has managed to hook viewers with a messiness that enchants but doesn't quite surpass some of its older sisters. Still, viewers have been treated to some shockers (merkin photoshoots, anyone?0, and the women have never hesitated to get down to the business of pure brawling. Nor have they ever held back when it comes to partaking in the type of self-indulgent, party-hardy nonsense that has always guided the franchise's ethos. While it may be among the lesser-appreciated installments of the show — perhaps because it's a fresher find– it's still one wild ride.

• Creator: Scott Dunlop
• Showrunner: n/a
• Cast: Adriana De Moura, Alexia Nepola, Marysol Patton, Lisa Hochstein, Larsa Pippen, Guerdy Abraira, Julia Lemigova, Kiki Barth, Nicole Martin, Lea Black, Joanna Krupa, Frankie Rosello, Ana Quincoces, Karent Sierra, Elle Hochstein, Elsa Patton, Marta Krupa, Stephanie Shojaee
  Stephanie Shojaee, Sirel Martin, Jody Glidden, Zana White, Marina Hochstein
• Number of episodes: 112
  
• Where to watch: Bravo, Peacock, Apple TV, YouTube, Fandango, Amazon Prime.

This was the Washington DC-centered "Real Housewives" series that actually worked. "Real Housewives of the Potomac" features Candiace Dillard Bassett waving around a butter knife during an argument, Karen Huger's wig issues, and so much inter-housewife fighting that it's still going strong with plenty of spicy shockers to keep fans riveted.

While Huger might be the queen of creating and sustaining drama in the east coast franchise, her rival in creating iconic series moments is none other than Monique "receipts" Samuels. No one will ever forget the pair's long-lasting and hotly simmering feud, peaking with them getting into a knock-down-drag-out fight that was so bad the show's producers had to intervene. Monique does not play around; this is a woman who whipped out a color-coded binder during the Season 5 reunion and stunned Gizelle Bryant with a carefully arranged roster of snide comments and cruel snubbings that Gizelle allegedly committed against her. These ladies continue to make "Potomac" a great installment of the franchise, even if it doesn't rank in the top five.

s not the best.

• Creator: Scott Dunlop, Tom Ciaccio
• Showrunner: n/a
• Cast: Gizelle Bryant, Ashley Darby, Karen Huger, Robyn Dixon, Candiace Dillard Bassett, Wendy Osefo, Mia Thornton, Monique Samuels, Charrisse Jackson Jordan, Grace Bryant, Sheila Matthews, Jacqueline Blake, Dorothy Dillard, Keiarna Stewart, Katie Rost, Stacey Rusch, Susan Okuzu, Crystal Watts, Monica Matthews, Carly Mensah, Veronica Simmons
• Number of episodes: 176
• Where to watch: Peacock, Bravo, Apple TV, YouTube, Fandango, Amazon Prime.

As any "Real Housewives" fan worth their salt knows, if you combine these ladies with alcohol and an exotic location, you're bound to end up with some great television. This is a spin-off that gathers together a handful of housewives from the show's many franchises, past and present, takes them to a new setting, and lets them bounce off of one another. So far there have been four seasons: one that unites a handful of memorable housewives from across the franchise; one that mashes together a bunch of housewives who have been divorced; a third that takes a brace of housewives and sends them to Thailand; and a fourth outing that teams up women from "The Real Housewives of New York City."

One would think fireworks would be guaranteed, but all four seasons of the show have garnered mixed reviews from fans. The most popular of the "Girls' Trip" seasons appears to be the "Real Housewives of New York" reunion that took place in Season 4. While it might not be a show to binge-watch all the way through, some outings might just be the tonic a fan needs to make it through the day.

• Creator: Scott Dunlop
• Showrunner: n/a
• Cast: Dorinda Medley, Luann de Lesseps, Ramona Singer, Brandi Glanville, Eva Marcille, Phaedra Parks, Vicki Gunvalson, Cynthia Bailey, Alexia Nepola, Kenya Moore, Candiace Dillard Bassett, Kyle Richards, Gizelle Bryant, Jill Zarin, Heather Gay, Melissa Gorga, Leah McSweeney, Tamra Judge, 
  Whitney Rose, Lori Mazziotta, Kristen Taekman, Sonja Morgan
  Number of episodes: 28
• Where to watch: Peacock, Bravo, YouTube

The OG southern installment of the "Real Housewives" franchise has always been a peach of a dramafest. It's held up over the years and kept audiences coming back for more, featuring a number of memorable housewives and some hilariously outré behavior to wallow in. Nene Leakes is still one of the most entertaining parts of this corner of the franchise, but Kim Zolciak and Phaedra Parks combine to make it more than entertaining on a grand scale. Just say the words "pickle photo shoot" to fans of the show, or use the word "wig" or the phrase "underground railroad," and watch delight fill their eyes. "Tardy for the Party" is a bonafide earworm, and there isn't a single franchise fan who doesn't genuinely enjoy at least one season of this wonderful hot mess of a series.

• Creator: Scott Dunlop
• Showrunner: Luke Neslage
• Cast: Kandi Burruss, Cynthia Bailey, Kenya Moore, Porsha Williams, NeNe Leakes, Shereé Whitfield, Phaedra Parks, Kim Zolciak-Biermann, Shamea Morton, Joyce Jones, Lauren Williams, Eva Marcille, Riley Burruss, Noelle Robinson, Andy Cohen
  Number of episodes: 339
• Where to watch: Peacock, Bravo, Apple TV, YouTube, Fandango, Amazon Prime.

Ramona, Bethenny, Dorinda, Luanne. If those names mean anything to you, then you obviously have a deep appreciation of the New York branch of the "Real Housewives" franchise, and you have solid taste. Alcohol-fueled dramatics, thrown glasses, extravagant tantrums, debates over the quality of restaurants, and charity events gone wrong — those are the basic ingredients for any season of "RHONY," give or take a wild scene like Aviva Drescher literally taking her prosthetic leg off and all but throwing it at her dining companions.

But the thing that makes it all work is that the women here are genuinely lovable, even when they're being awful, which makes the show's fifteen-season-long runtime speed by with the quickness of a table being upended at a dinner party. If you've never tried any of the many shows or seasons that have spun off of "Orange County," this might be the smoothest to digest in a single sitting. And yet, we're still a few entries away from the absolute best of the "Real Housewives" shows.

• Creator: Scott Dunlop
• Showrunner: n/a
• Cast: Ramona Singer, Luann de Lesseps, Sonja Morgan, Bethenny Frankel, Dorinda Medley, Carole Radziwill, Heather Thomson, Tinsley Mortimer, Jill Zarin, Mario Singer, Kelly Bensimon, Kristen Taekman, Leah McSweeney, Aviva Drescher, Erin Dana Lichy, Brynn Whitfield, Sai De Silva, Jenna Lyons, Allyson Shapiro, Eboni K. Williams, Cindy Barshop, Elyse Slaine, Racquel Chevremont, Sarah McSweeney, Rebecca Minkoff, Hannah Lynch, Naomi Meulemans, Nicole Nadeau, Lisa Wexler, Teddy Bensimon
• Number of episodes: 294
• Where to watch: Peacock, Bravo, Apple TV, YouTube, Fandango.

If the phrase "prostitution w***" has ever passed your lips, then you're probably a fan of "RHONJ." And for good reason, because the rough-and-tumble ladies who lunch in this "Real Housewives" series aren't afraid to get down and dirty. This is a show that's so over-the-top, even the husbands get into it and become wonderfully memorable personalities. (Where would this series be without Joe Giudice or Joe Gorga?)

Between spitfires like Melissa, Dolores, Margaret, and fan favorite Teresa ruling the roost, this show knows how to keep the drama hopping and the wine flowing (and flying). It's no wonder it's been running for 14 seasons, with fans fully expecting the announcement of a fifteenth.

• Creator: Scott Dunlop
• Showrunner: n/a
• Cast: Teresa Giudice, Melissa Gorga, Dolores Catania, Margaret Josephs, Jacqueline Laurita, Jennifer Aydin, Jackie Goldschneider, Caroline Manzo, Danielle Staub, Rosie Pierri, Ashlee Holmes, Margaret Kiss, Lexi Barbuto, Danielle Cabral, Jennifer Fessler, Rachel Fuda, Kim DePaola, Donna Marco, Lysa Simpson, Jillian Staub, Kim Pirrella, Teresa Aprea, Nicole Napolitano, Gabrielle Catania, Amber Marchese, Josephine Altinel, Valerie Spagnola, Marlene Vincent, Valentina Cabral, Kim Granatell, Traci Lynn Johnson, Lexi Ioannou, Ann B. Mark, Heather Robinson, Alisa Maria, Brittany Mattessich, Tiffany Chantell, Michelle Pais
• Number of episodes: 253
• Where to watch: Peacock, Bravo, Apple TV, YouTube, Fandango, Amazon Prime.

The OG "Housewives" show is still one of the franchise's best, a good decade-plus after it first aired. From the debate over whether or not Brooks was faking his cancer to Tamra hiding in the bushes from Kelly to Tamara launching a thousand memes by shrieking, "That's my opinion!" during the Season 9 reunion in defense of her thoughts about Vicki's lover being unsuitable, these California queens know how to get people talking and keep those discussions going. It's been around for nearly twenty years at this point, but it shows no signs of wearing out its welcome and remains appointment television.

• Creator: Scott Dunlop
• Showrunner: n/a
• Cast: Tamra Judge, Vicki Gunvalson, Shannon Storms Beador, Heather Dubrow, Emily Simpson, Gina Kirschenheiter, Gretchen Rossi, Briana Culberson, Kelly Dodd, Alexis Bellino, Meghan King, Jeana Keough, Jennifer Pedranti, Lauri Waring Peterson, Lydia McLaughlin, Lizzie Rovsek, Katie Ginella, Sandra Baker, Katarina Dubrow, Lynne Curtin, Kara Keough, Annabelle Simpson, Tammy Knickerbocker, Sophia Barney, Ashley Zarlin, Sarah Rodriguez, Alexa Curtin, Peggy Sulahian, Noella Bergener, Sophie Waring, Jen Armstrong, Sienna Kirschenheiter, Peggy Tanous, Natalie Puche, Elizabeth Lyn Vargas, Raquel Curtin, Judy Stirling, Bobbi Meza, Taylor Armstrong, Rowan Burke, Mackenna Bellino, Nancy Bello, Danielle Gregorio, Susan Archer
  Number of episodes: 351
• Where to watch: Peacock, Bravo, YouTube, Fandango, Amazon Prime.

The Beverly Hills branch of the "Real Housewives" franchise has always been dependable when it comes to delivering the gossip. Featuring housewives who also have legitimate acting chops, like movie and tv stars Lisa Rinna, recent series departee Garcelle Beauvais, and "Halloween Ends" star Kyle Richards, the ladies' collective theatrics could keep an opera house in business for years. Remember the "dinner party from hell?" Kim and Kyle Richards feuding right in front of the cameras? Anything involving Lisa Vanderpump? It's all gold, all incredible, and all incurably delightful, often in the most awful of ways. 

The Beverly Hills setting tends to deliver high-impact and fight-laden drama, so they might feel like a little bit too much when you marathon them all at once, and there are flat points that will cause you to reach for your remote. (Diana Jenkins, anyone?) But that aside, this series only misses taking the top slot because, while its fourteen seasons (so far) pack in a lot of juicy moments, not every season can be a Lucy Lucy Apple Juice screamfest. Though, if you're watching all of them back to back, you might be grateful for that fact.

• Creator: Scott Dunlop
• Showrunner: n/a
• Cast: Lisa Rinna, Garcelle Beauvais, Kyle Richards, Lisa Vanderpump, Camille Grammer, Dorit Kemsley, Adrienne Maloof, Sutton Stracke, Jennifer Tilly, Brandi Glanville, Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave, Yolanda Hadid
• Number of episodes: 309
• Where to watch: Peacock, Bravo, Apple TV, YouTube, Fandango, Amazon Prime.

Just what makes the Salt Lake City-based "Real Housewives" series so special? The sheer tonnage of megawatt drama, for one thing. It's self-knowing without being a parody of itself or the franchise as a whole. The ladies who populate its cast are wonderfully colorful and bring a little more edge to the series than you tend to find in the other shows. To wit: Jen Shah is in prison on a six-year stretch for fraud charges as of this writing — and that's just the tip of the iceberg. If the name "Reality Von Tease" means anything to you, then you know how good this version of "Housewives" is — and why, out of all of its brethren, this is the best version of the show the franchise has to offer.

• Creator: Scott Dunlop
• Showrunner: n/a
• Cast: Lisa Barlow, Whitney Rose, Meredith Marks, Heather Gay, Mary Cosby, Jen Shah, Angie Katsanevas, Jennie Nguyen, Ashley Gay, Monica Garcia, Bronwyn Newport, Bobbie Rose, Andrea Robinson, Annabelle Gay, Britani Bateman, Angie Harrington, Danna Bui-Negrete, Elektra Katsanevas Trujillo
• Number of episodes: 112
• Where to watch: Peacock, Bravo, Apple TV, YouTube, Fandango, Amazon Prime.