What do you do with two legendary Bravo Housewives after their franchise is not only paused, but broken up into two separate shows—one of which they may or may not get cast on? Throw them among the locals and let them hash it out for themselves!
Yes, the Bravo gods have once again given us something we never knew we needed. With their fates on their home franchise up in the air, Real Housewives of New York alums Luann de Lesseps and Sonja Morgan are going to be shipped off to nowhere next year, which is far more exciting than it sounds.
De Lesseps and Morgan’s new spin-off, Luann and Sonja: Welcome to Crappie Lake, will see the two beloved New York socialites dipping their pedicured toes into the fresh waters of Crappie Lake, supposedly a horrendously named body of water in Benton, Illinois. Morgan and De Lesseps will travel to Benton—a town of just 7,000—at the behest of the local city council, who have summoned the two Manhattanites to “spruce up” their town.
Reports of the show’s tentative production first surfaced this summer, exciting Bravo fanatics and fans of the classic early aughts reality show The Simple Life. Naturally, there’s a huge crossover between audiences who love to watch rich, older women get drunk and fight and audiences who love to see rich, younger women dropped into middle America.
Fans had speculated that Bravo might have something up their tailored sleeve for the show The spin-off was officially announced during the second day of BravoCon, the network’s massive fan convention.
Like The Simple Life, which saw Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie trying to assimilate into normal towns with normal people with nothing but a few bucks and a prayer, Welcome to Crappie Lake will see Morgan and De Lesseps fighting to survive in small-town America. An official press release detailed the upcoming chaos, noting that Morgan and de Lesseps will be “revitalizing the local theater with a full-on variety show” and “building a new playground.” And of course, they’ll be fishing for crappie (the name of a fish—believe me, I googled) with their bare hands.
No official premiere date has been set for the spin-off yet, only a confirmation that it will air sometime next year. And if the runaway success of Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip is any indication, Welcome to Crappie Lake is sure to be another hit for the network. Let’s just hope the local liquor store shipped in a steady supply of moonshine, Tipsy Girl, and Fauxsé Rose for these Bravo legends’ extended stay.
