Last November at the first BravoCon, Bravo revealed that it would be expanding its popular Real Housewives franchise to include a group of women living in Salt Lake City, Utah. Fans of the franchise weren’t sure what to expect, and I can admit to being one of the early skeptics — what kind of drama could be lurking in Utah that’s worthy of joining the ranks of Atlanta, Potomac, or Beverly Hills? But now that the first trailer of the new series has been revealed, I’m not too proud to say that I was completely wrong; the women of of Salt Lake City are poised to be exactly the kind of chaos that Housewives fans love and adore.
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Salt Lake City promises to be a breath of fresh air for fans of the franchise looking for something to dig their teeth into that isn't Denise Richards vs. Everybody (because we are tired, girl). The new Housewives series will introduce Bravo fans to an often unexplored element of Salt Lake City: its glamor. The city is home to some of the most elite communities in the country, boasting filthy rich residents with ties to Hollywood, politics, and other notable high-powered industries. Our six new Bravolebrities are among those elites, living in massive homes that match their larger-than-life personalities.
The new show will also be among the franchise's most diverse. If you've been tuned into the network for some time now, you've probably noticed that the Housewives shows tend to be a bit...segregated. Series like New York City and Orange County have mostly been composed of white women, while the casts of Atlanta and Potomac are predominantly Black. And Beverly Hills just cast its first Black Housewife after nine whole seasons on air. One might argue that it could be relative to their geography — after all, Atlanta is one of the Blackest cities in the United States — but the casts of Housewives often are either all white or all Black.
Not so with Salt Lake City. For the first time in Bravo history, there are several different ethnic groups and races represented on one Housewives show. Mary Cosby, the glamorous First Lady of a massive Pentecostal church (who is also happily married to her grandmother's ex-husband?), is a Black woman. And Jen Shah loudly reps her Polynesian heritage and her new devotion to Allah for the world to see.
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Addition to a mix of racial backgrounds, the new Housewives' various religions bring a host of cultural aspects to the table. Salt Lake City is known for its ties to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, so many of the cast is Mormon, but they're all working through their respective faiths in different ways. We've got a cast member who loves God just as much as a good party (Lisa Barlow), another who's "Mormon-ish" after divorcing one of the most prominent members of the church (Heather Gay), and an ex-Mormon trying to figure out her place in the community after a huge scandal finds her on the outs (Whitney Rose). Rounding out the cast is Meredith Marks, a glamorous jewelry designer who is proudly Jewish.
With all of these different personalities and cultures swirling in one community, shenanigans, hijinks, and loads of drama are inevitable — and the first trailer for the show pretty much guarantees it. Bravo stans, we're in for a good, messy time.
Don't take my word for it, though. Check out the trailer for yourself and get acquainted with your new faves. The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City premieres on Bravo on November 11.