The Real Housewives of Potomac is an American reality television series that premiered on January 17, 2016, on Bravo. Developed as the eighth installment of The Real Housewives franchise, it has aired four seasons and focuses on the personal and professional lives of several women living in Potomac, Maryland. The current cast consists of Gizelle Bryant, Ashley Darby, Robyn Dixon, Karen Huger, Monique Samuels, Candiace Dillard, and Wendy Osefo. Previously-featured cast members include original cast members Charrisse Jackson Jordan and Katie Rost.
Overview and casting
Initially titled Potomac Ensemble, The Real Housewives of Potomac was announced on November 11, 2015. The series is the network's second attempt to develop a reality series based in the Washington, D.C. area. The first effort was The Real Housewives of D.C. which aired in 2010 and was canceled after one season. The first season premiered on January 17, 2016, and starred Gizelle Bryant, Katie Rost, Karen Huger, Charrisse Jackson Jordan, Robyn Dixon and Ashley Darby. After the filming for the second season began, Rost was fired from the show. Monique Samuels was then added to the cast for the second season which premiered on April 2, 2017. The third season premiered on April 1, 2018, with Candiace Dillard joining the cast, and Jordan appearing in a "friend" capacity. Jordan left the show after the third season. The fourth season which began filming in August 2018, premiered on May 5, 2019. The season featured Dillard's wedding and Rost as a "friend of the housewives." The fifth season is set to premiere on August 2, 2020, with Wendy Osefo as the newest cast member.
Timeline of cast members
Episodes
Reception
Viewership
The premiere episode of The Real Housewives of Potomac received a 1.2 rating in adults 1849 years adult demographic and 2.54 million viewers in total, according to Nielsen Media Research's "live plus-3" estimates. The episode was the highest rated premiere of any series of The Real Housewives franchise. The first season of the series averaged 2.1 million viewers in the "live plus-3" estimates, becoming the network's most-watched first season of a series since The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills in 2010.
Critical response
The reality series has received mostly positive reviews from television critics. Amy Amatangelo, writing for The Hollywood Reporter, said, "Like its predecessors, The Real Housewives of Potomac offers escapist TV at the highest level," and also added, "You can watch with the comfort that you would never behave this way and delight in all the ridiculous shenanigans." Amatangelo praised the show's diversity by saying that the network aims the franchise to be "an equal-opportunity offender". Joi-Marie McKenzie of ABC News, reviewing the show's premiere, said, "Between the show introductions, there was plenty of shade-throwing and one-liners to keep "Housewives" enthusiasts entertained."
Broadcast history
The Real Housewives of Potomac airs regularly on Bravo in the United States; most episodes are approximately forty-two minutes in length, and are broadcast in high definition. Since its premiere, the series has airing on Sunday evenings and has been frequently shifted between the 8:00, 9:00, and 10:00 PM timeslots. The fifth season of the show was due to begin airing on May 3, 2020, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the halt in production of other shows, Bravo decided to move the premier to later in the summer. This decision was taken to ensure that they still had enough new programmes to fill their summer schedule.
