The Real Housewives Retro Recap: Orange You Glad We Have the Housewives?

Finding the perfect gift for the Real Housewives on their 20th anniversary is a challenge! Real Housewives of Orange County first aired on March 21, 2006—exactly two decades ago today (or on that date if you’re reading this later). The show didn’t immediately become a sensation, with only 430,000 people watching the premiere. To put that in perspective, the season finale of Project Runway a few weeks earlier drew 5.4 million viewers. Initial reviews weren’t great either. As Charles McGrath of the New York Times put it, the show was strangely captivating but also made viewers feel better about their own lives—mostly because they wouldn’t dream of being on it.







