The series originally focused on Luann de Lesseps, Bethenny Frankel, Alex McCord, Ramona Singer, and Jill Zarin. The cast currently consists of de Lesseps, Frankel, Singer, Sonja Morgan, Dorinda Medley, Tinsley Mortimer, and Barbara Kavovit. Of the original housewives, Frankel initially left after the third season before returning for the seventh; McCord and Zarin left after the fourth season; and de Lesseps was reduced to a recurring capacity during the sixth season and returned to being a full-time cast member the following season. The remaining housewives joined in later seasons: Morgan in the third, Medley in the seventh, Mortimer in the ninth, and Kavovit in the eleventh. Other housewives include Kelly Killoren Bensimon (seasons 2–4), Cindy Barshop (season 4), Aviva Drescher (seasons 5–6), Heather Thomson (seasons 5–7), Carole Radziwill (seasons 5–10), Kristen Taekman (seasons 6–7), and Jules Wainstein (season 8).\n', '

The success of the show has resulted in the conceptions of the spin-offs Bethenny Ever After and Bethenny & Fredrik.\n', '

While in pre-production, the show was initially titled Manhattan Moms. It was later rebranded to become the second installment of the then-new The Real Housewives franchise. The first season premiered on March 4, 2008, and starred LuAnn de Lesseps, Bethenny Frankel, Alex McCord, Ramona Singer and Jill Zarin.\n', '

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