Who created the reality TV franchise 'The Real Housewives'?

Scott Dunlop created the 'The Real Housewives' reality television franchise.

Dunlop developed the concept after observing affluent women in Orange County, California, and pitched a series about their personal and social lives. The resulting program, 'The Real Housewives of Orange County', premiered in 2006 and became the foundation for the wider franchise.

Andy Cohen is strongly associated with the franchise because he served as an executive producer and became its reunion-show host, but he did not create the original concept. That distinction is the main reason this fact is often misremembered.

The franchise expanded to cities including New York City, Atlanta, Beverly Hills, and many international locations. Each edition follows a cast of women connected to a particular metropolitan area, though the participants are not necessarily all legally married or all residents of the city named in the title.