Longtime fans of The Real Housewives of Atlanta have watched the franchise’s iconic showdowns, cast shakeups, and epic reunion show moments since the first episode aired in 2008. As one of the longest-running Housewives franchises, viewers have witnessed new series start to take the attention away from the ladies in the Georgia peach state. However, some loyal followers of the series have been advocating for its legacy and explaining why it’s still their favorite Housewives show.
Since season one of RHOA, the cast has never shied away from sharing their real-life drama with viewers. Early seasons saw NeNe Leakes search for her birth father, get divorced and remarried, and support her husband through a cancer battle, all while being at the center of some dramatic showdowns with the other cast members. Kim Zolciak-Biermann was just a single mom of two daughters when she first appeared on the show. But over the years, viewers got an inside look into her love story with Kroy Biermann that resulted in a marriage, four additional children, and a spin-off that’s still on the air. Other memorable show moments include Porsha Williams and Kenya Moore’s reunion show fight, Phaedra Parks getting fired for spreading lies about Kandi Burruss, and Cynthia Bailey getting married and divorced from Peter Thomas before getting married again to Mike Hill.
The show’s history reflects an authenticity among the housewives that many fans feel doesn’t exist on other shows within the franchise. The debate over how “underrated” RHOA is spread to Reddit, where a group of viewers expressed their favoritism for the Atlanta series. “Which Housewives franchise cast is the best and why is it Atlanta,” one Redditor captioned a thread. They went on to list the reasons why the show beats out its counterparts when it comes to authentic onscreen chemistry. “They have tons of drama, tons of laughter, the most real friendships, and Kandi and Porsha are incredibly inspiring.” the viewer explained. They went on to note how season 13 reminds them “why I started loving them so much,” with Porsha using part of her storyline to highlight the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement.
“The shade, the laughs, the drama, and the way they use their platform to help people and to speak for people whose voices are not often heard,” the Redditor added. Many others joined the conversation in agreement with the post’s original author and shared their reasons why RHOA still tops the other Housewives shows. “I love that they have REAL fun with each other and not just obligatory ‘fun’ as a cast trip,” said one person. “I LOVE ATL. Whenever anyone asks which ones to watch. I say ATLANTA!!!! They are by far the funniest cast,” added another. Even the current “strippergate” scandal on the show has received mixed reactions from viewers, with most finding the whole encounter to be comical.
NeNe herself has shared in the past how funny she finds the banter on the show. “They are all real friends too,” said someone else in reference to how the Atlanta housewives are known to hang out with each other even when the cameras aren’t rolling. The genuineness of their friendships has helped create real emotional scenes throughout the show’s history. It continues to set their franchise apart from their colleagues in New York, New Jersey, Potomac, Dallas, Salt Lake City, Beverly Hills, and Orange County.
