Original “Real Housewives of New York” stars Countess Luann de Lesseps, Jill Zarin, Ramona Singer, Kelly Bensimon and Sonya Morgan are heading south for a new reality docuseries that was just greenlit by Versant’s E! Cable shop. The 10-episode series, tentatively titled The Golden Life, will star de Lesseps, Zarin, Singer, Bensimon and Morgan, and will “reunite a group of New York City’s iconic friends in glamorous Palm Beach.”
Blink 49 Studios is behind the show, which begins filming in South Florida this spring. Versant Entertainment president Val Boreland announced the news Tuesday during a panel discussion at Realscreen Summit in Miami.
Of the ‘Rhoney’ OGs, de Lesseps and Singer appeared on the original 13 seasons from 2008 to 2021, Zarin from seasons 1-4, Bensimon from seasons 2-4, and Morgan from seasons 3-13.
“We’re thrilled to welcome reality TV royalty to E! for the reunion our fans have been waiting for,” Borland said. “The energy within this group is always exciting and I look forward to watching it unfold in this new chapter of life at the beach.”
Cori Abraham, Versant’s senior vice president of development, added without a script: “A lot of people have been asking for them to come back, and when this show was pitched to us, we were like, ‘Yeah, we want to see it too. We want them to come back.'” So after all their fallout and friendship, they’re friends now. And that show has been running for 18 or 19 years. I’m excited that they’re now snowbirds. They come down south for the winter, so we plan to photograph them here this winter and over the next few months. And they’re different in the sense that they know each other really well and have spent a lot of time together. But they’re still great. It’s not really a show that flips tables. It’s more like a mahjong show. They’re not slowing down, and by the way, they’re not real wives anymore. Most of them are single. ”
“Bound by decades of shared history, fallout, and friendship, this fan-favorite group of New Yorkers has made a new start together in the Sunshine State. In this new ‘golden’ era of life, the longtime friends are thriving in and around Palm Beach with stunning vacation homes and a lively social scene.” With their signature humor and constant banter, the series follows the group as they navigate dating, family, and career milestones. The Florida skies are bright, but unresolved drama stands in the way as the two reunite after years of ups and downs. ”
Tara Long, Nadine Rajavi, Mark Ford, and Ben Megagel serve as executive producers.
