June 10, 2010, by
a great piece about how Bravo nurtures its own stars. And the first of the “Real Housewives” gets her own spinoff tonight:
Bethenny Frankel.
Viewers' opinions, carefully observed and culled on the Web and pinpointed through more traditional market research, tend to dictate which Bravo stars graduate from ensemble reality shows to their own programs. The thinking is that they've already been vetted by the Bravo audience and the research team, and that they've already built brand awareness — so Bravo is, in marketing terms, just extending its product line.
Bethenny comes off as real and relatable and always willing to throw it down when need be.
Which Atlanta housewife deserves a spin-off show the most?
- NeNe
- Kim
- Kandi
- Lisa
- Sheree
- None of them!
This makes me wonder: who among the "Real Housewives of Atlanta"deserves her own spin-off show? I ponder the possibilities of the five second-season housewives. (It's too early to say what will become of the two newbies, Phaedra Parks and Cynthia Bailey.)
NeNe Leakes
She is the most obvious one to get her own spin-off show. There, in fact, have been rumors that she could get one.
Positives: She possesses a dynamic, brassy personality. She lights up the screen. She could sustain a show. She has an interesting back story which she turned into a memoir – abusive boyfriend, questionable father issues, et. al. She likes to provoke drama while saying she likes to stay out of drama. She’s also had rumored marital issues.
Negatives: She was everybody’s favorite season one but appears to have let the fame go to her head. She became much less likable season two, creating drama where there was none for instance when Kandi came into the picture. Her inner diva came out writ large.
Spin-off-ability: 8.5 out of 10
Kim Zolciak
Positives: She is infuriatingly fascinating. She’s a single mom who smokes too much, parties hard and loves her kids. She has dated a married man (breaking up with him, then getting back together, then breaking up with him, etc.). She kissed a girl. She wears a wig and won’t show her real hair. She lies. She sings poorly and gets a hit song out of it. A smoldering car wreck!
Negatives: She may be best in small doses. Too much of Kim might be too much period. Could viewers endure all Kim all the time?
Spin-off-ability: 6.5
Kandi Burruss
Positives: She has eclipsed NeNe as the most popular “Housewife” so far. As a songwriter and performer, she has a real career, seems extremely down to earth and owns a sad back story now that her ex-fiance has died.
Negatives: Though she talked back to NeNe at one point when NeNe got in her face, she mostly stayed out of the drama. And no drama means a possibly less-than-compelling Bravo show.
Spin-off-ability: 5
Lisa Wu Hartwell
Positives: She is mostly upbeat and seems to have a positive outlook on life but has a temper that flares at times. She is trying to have another baby and is actually (gasp!) married.
Negatives: She lacks the train-wreck appeal of Kim and NeNe. She isn’t quite as likely to create drama though she has gotten in the middle of some scuffles a couple of times.
Spin-off-ability: 2
Sheree Whitfield
Positives: She has come up with some memorable catchphrases, including “Who goin’ to check me, boo?” She had an outlandish argument with a party planner and “nudged” Kim’s wig in a brief physical altercation. She thinks she’s God’s gift to designing. She’s bitterly divorced and seeking a man.
Negatives: She strikes many as deluded, pretentious and not terribly warm.
Spin-off-ability: 4
On TV
“Bethenny Gets Married,” 10 p.m. Thursdays on Bravo, starting June 10
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