Do fans even want a reboot of ‘The Real Housewives of New Jersey?’ Here’s why I think every city needs a fresh cast

The Real Housewives of New Jersey has been the subject of reboot chatter for a while now. While Andy Cohen has continually said that there won’t be a RHONJ reboot, he recently shared on Andy Cohen Live, his SiriusXM show, that there could be new cast members in season 15. But is this something that fans agree with?

From arguments over cookies (seriously), to all the hilarious husbands we’ve seen over the years, The Real Housewives of New Jersey has given us a lot to chat about. I want to know what fans really think about a reboot… and I think it could be the perfect solution.

What do fans think about a potential The Real Housewives of New Jersey reboot?

Fans have mixed reactions to a The Real Housewives of New Jersey reboot, which we’re not surprised by since a RHONJ reboot would be a big deal.

One Reddit user posted that they’d like new Real Housewives cities instead of a new RHONJ and wrote, “Go back to the roots of what makes these shows great” and explained, “a solid cast with real friendships, relationships, love, humor and of course REAL DRAMA within their lives.” Others thought this was a good idea, but other fans thought maybe certain cast members could be fired if they’re just not that entertaining to watch anymore.

There isn’t much of a consensus among the Real Housewives of New Jersey fandom, though. Some would love to see a reboot: one viewer posted on Reddit,”I would totally watch a rebooted NJ with a new cast.” But other fans wrote on Reddit that they would be sad to watch a show that didn’t include some favorites, from Dolores Catania and Melissa Gorga to another long-time star, Margaret Josephs.

So, while we don’t really know what’s going to happen and fans have had every reaction under the sun, we can predict that people are still going to watch, no matter what the show looks like in season 15. It’s unlikely we would see a Real Housewives of New Jersey 2024 reboot since there would have to be time to find cast members and film.

Why The Real Housewives of New Jersey (and every Real Housewives city) needs a reboot

The main reason why I think The Real Housewives of New Jersey should be rebooted? Teresa Giudice and Melissa Gorga’s relationship (or lack thereof) truly seems over… and we should just let them be.

I can’t help but hope that if the season 14 cast comes back, Teresa won’t leave the show because like many other fans, I’ve grown attached to her. But… I also have to admit that a reboot sounds compelling and fun. And isn’t that the point of a reality franchise like The Real Housewives? Although in the past, jokes about Melissa giving Teresa sprinkle cookies that she promptly threw out were funny, the sisters-in-law are too mean to each other now. Watching RHONJ needs to be a break in our day and a chance to move beyond any daily problems we have, not remember that sometimes you have such bad family drama that you can’t even be in the same room together.

In fact, I think pretty much every city in Bravo’s Real Housewives franchise could use a reboot. It worked well for The Real Housewives of New York and brought us our new favorite cast member, Jenna Lyons, who is a style icon thanks to her years running J. Crew. The Real Housewives of Orange County and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills have lost some of my favorite stars over the years (I miss you, Vicki Gunvalson and Lisa Rinna!) and the shows just aren’t as enjoyable without them. The exceptions to my dream of a full Real Housewives reboot? The Real Housewives of Atlanta is still a fan favorite, and The Real Housewives of Dubai has great gossip.

But I can’t help but think that thanks to all the Netflix reality shows over the years, from my personal favorite Love Is Blind to the (underrated) The Ultimatum to Too Hot to Handle, the Real Housewives franchise has to make some big moves in order to keep us all invested. I’ll be watching to see what happens next in the beloved Real Housewives universe.