Bravo is about to conclude the most successful season of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" yet and the first reunion show pulled in a solid 4.1 million viewers this past Sunday.
Surprisingly, the show didn't hit a record despite all the hype about the Porsha Williams/Kenya Moore fight. Its best performance happened earlier in the season when an episode drew 4.7 million viewers.
Now gossip sites are speculating about who will return next season. Given how successful this crew has been the past two years, Bravo would be disinclined, I'd fathom, to get rid of anybody. Bravo itself doesn't talk about personnel changes this early.
I'm told from a good source that all the women are still under contract at least through next year.
Potentially, bringing in new people can inject fresh energy into any show, even one that as popular as "Real Housewives of Atlanta." Both Kenya and Porsha arrived season five after a lackluster season four. Based on past year's production schedules, shooting for season seven will begin next month or June.
NeNe Leakes, who is on the outs with her friend Cynthia Bailey, said earlier this month on "Watch What Happens" that Cynthia is the dullest of the six and based on a poll I did a week ago, the most dispensable. She said she doesn't like Kenya but she's good for the show.
But NeNe doesn't make these personnel decisions. "Watch What Happens" host Andy Cohen, who certainly has influence when it comes to these decisions, has indicated nothing about Bravo's thought process. Based on the trailer, this Sunday, he will at least tell the world how Bravo does not condone violence, ahem.
On the reunion episode, Andy asked Porsha to apologize for her behavior but I have not seen her do so yet, at least not publicly.
Kenya has said she wants Porsha out now that she got physically violent with her. Then again, with Kenya, she may just be putting on a faux "victim" act because it keeps her in the headlines. (Heck, AP, which usually avoids "Real Housewives" ridiculousness, interviewed her a few days ago.)
In that AP interview, she said she is even considering leaving the show. But that again could be just her way to get people talking. What would she do otherwise? This type of "acting" is right up her alley. She was imported by Bravo from Los Angeles to create mayhem and she has done a very good job creating drama with her twirling and her scepter and her nasty asides.
TMZ said the four women who are not Kenya and Porsha are banding together and defending Porsha.
TV preview
"Real Housewives of Atlanta," 8 p.m. April 27, part 2 of the reunion shows, Bravo
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