Kumari Shreya
Created by Scott Dunlop, Bravo’s ‘The Real Housewives of Orange County,’ AKA ‘RHOC,’ is perhaps one of the most famous reality TV shows that focuses on various affluent women who live in California’s Orange County. Almost every member of the cast is part of the same social circle and has their own history, grudges, and care for each other.
As such, there is unrestrained drama, betrayal, and much more that one gets to enjoy while watching the series. However, the fame and success of the show have led many people to wonder just how authentic the show truly is. Are the showcased events as real as they seem, or are things scripted for one reason or the other? Well, here is what w know about the same!
Is The Real Housewives of Orange County Scripted?
‘The Real Housewives of Orange County’ is not entirely scripted. That is not to say that everything is as natural as one might expect, but the various ups and downs in cast members’ lives are not fabricated and are the results of real-life issues. However, the showrunners certainly follow some rules and tricks to make sure to be able to capture the most dramatic moments that take place on the show. As such, it is easy to see why some might wonder about the show’s legitimacy as a true insight into the lives of their favorite stars.
Given just how much the world likes to know more and more about reality TV stars, the showrunners of the Bravo series always try their people not to doubt the authenticity of the televised events. This might be the biggest reason why every phone conversation a cast member has while on the show is done over the speaker so that viewers can hear both sides of any conversation that might not get cut at the editing table. This is in conjunction with the fact that there are barely any aspects of the featured stars’ lives hidden in the series.
Whether it’s one’s personal woes or professional struggles, if it is intriguing enough, the producers might focus on that and present it to the world. One notable thing that might make one reconsider the show’s unscripted nature is that the cast members are sometimes asked to be ready for reshoots of specific incidents. While the reasons for this can vary, it does create doubt in one’s mind that the cast’s reaction might not be genuine.
It is also a well-established fact that the production sends call sheets to the cast every day to share what location the shooting will take place, though that can be more to do with convenience rather than any desire to fabricate events. That being said, it is not unknown for producers to nudge along some drama, especially since the seating arrangements at dinner parties are often decided by those behind the lens, which often leads to trouble, given the proximity or distance of those at odds with each other.
Moreover, some members of ‘The Real Housewives‘ franchise, like Alex McCord from ‘The Real Housewives of New York City‘ have confirmed that the showrunners do try to set up events, scenes, calls, and meetings among different people to nudge along the drama and not miss out any possible confrontation that would have likely happened sooner or later. But are the reactions and words of the cast itself scripted in any way? That does not seem to be the case, and some people behind the camera have anonymously even confessed that getting such things done might be harder than one might think.
However, the producers edit out certain things, likely because of time constraints and entertainment value. However, host Andy Cohen has been quite ap[ssionate about the legitimacy of the cast and their actions, telling Elle Australia, “Everything is very real, and all you would have to do is to meet a housewife to see that they are as they appear.”
Overall, ‘The Real Housewives of Orange County’ is not really a scripted series, but it does act like a binding glue that organizes all the chaotic drama in the lives of the featured women in a way that one can easily follow. Things are planned to give certain arcs a conclusive ending and probably not leave things open-ended since every entertaining storyline needs a conclusion. While the circumstances and emotions of the cast are completely genuine, it is evident that the showrunners work hard to make sure that things remain lively.
Read More: Where is The Real Housewives of Orange County Filmed?
