Reality television is one of my guilty pleasures. So, in honor of the return of my favorite DMV reality show, “Bravo’s Real Housewives of Potomac,” here’s my ultimate guide to the best D.C.-based reality TV.
Bravo’s ‘The Real Housewives of Washington, DC’
The “Real Housewives of DC” debuted in 2011 and followed the lives of five D.C. women. It became the only U.S.-based Real Housewives to be canceled after one season due to an international incident when Housewife Michaele Salahi and her husband snuck into a White House state dinner.
This was more than just typical Housewife antics; it was a White House security blunder. Rep. Peter King,R-NY, requested a formal investigation into the incident by Homeland Security. But, from the ashes rose the “Real Housewives of Potomac” that we know and love today.
- Where to watch: You can purchase episodes on Amazon Prime and YouTube.
MTV’s ‘The Real World DC’
What happens when seven strangers stop being polite and start getting real … in a Dupont Circle row home?
The show follows an ambitious group of young people living in a mansion on S Street NW. The season was filmed in 2009 and Obama made a cameo, as did The Washington Capitals, singer Melissa Etheridge, and Washington Post cartoonist Tom Toles.
Unfortunately for us, the cast seemed genuinely interested in pursuing internships and goals rather than hooking up and having drama, but, hey, that’s D.C. for ya.
- Where to watch: You can stream “The Real World DC” on Paramount Plus.
TLC’s ‘DC Cupcakes’
TLC’s food-based reality show followed sisters Sophie LaMontagne and Katherine Kallinis as they run their small bakery in Georgetown, Georgetown Cupcake. The two sisters leave the corporate rat race armed with nothing but their savings, their family cupcake recipes, and a dream. Thanks to its wild popularity, now we all have to wait in obscene lines to get a cupcake there.
- Where to watch:
You can watch “DC Cupcakes” for free on YouTube.
