AJC > Sandy Springs > Blog > Archives > 2008 > December > 16
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
The Real Housewives of Sandy Springs?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I read this week that “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” reality show is coming back for another season, so I’m developing “The Real Housewives of Sandy Springs” because even I can see the potential gold mine when it’s staring me in the face.
I will cop to the fact I never watched the Atlanta version of the popular Bravo cable network program that followed four Atlanta women and their adventures as they tried to spend a gi-normous amount of money between episodes of shameless social climbing and taking verbal jabs at each other.
I have however, seen the Orange County housewives, and based on promos for their Atlanta sisters it is safe to say that seen one four-pack of trophy wives, seen ‘en all.
Obviously the first order of business for the Sandy Springs version will be to make my show different. I mean how many quartets of rich catty women can we watch before the whole thing starts to appear prurient?
So the first hurdle will be casting. Now I’ve been in Sandy Springs for most of my 52 years, and I know a lot of housewives — young, old, rich, not so rich, married, divorced, straight, gay — you name it and I’ll bet I know someone who fills the bill. So I think that will be the easiest of the to-do’s.
Where I’m stalled out is with the term “reality” series. Because most of the reality shows I see don’t really resemble reality — or at least the life I think most of us live. For example, how do I make the daily traffic jam on Johnson Ferry, that many of our real housewives find themselves sitting in, look visually appealing and provocative? I’m sure I could probably catch one of them flipping another driver off, but that’s pretty tame compared to what happens in Atlanta and Orange County.
Shopping scenes wouldn’t be much better. Atlanta scored all the hot Buckhead shops and the OC version had Rodeo Drive. We have the new Target, three Starbucks and a few antique stores. Not at all shabby, but I think we’re going to lack that aspirational quality. Who’s going to tune in to see BOGO days at the Publix?
And finally there is the tension that exists with the two shows already on the tube. I don’t want to infer that our female Sandy Springsteens are above a good catfight, but I’ve never seen one.
No tension, no drama, no viewers.
Clearly I’m going to need my Christmas break to get this puppy fleshed out before I take it to the Bravo people. But I’m open to ideas.
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