<Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> External links </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Website </Th> <Td> www.bravotv.com/the-real-housewives-of-new-york-city </Td> </Tr> <P> The Real Housewives of New York City (abbreviated RHONY) is an American reality television series that premiered on March 4, 2008 on Bravo . Developed as the second installment of The Real Housewives franchise, following The Real Housewives of Orange County, it is currently in its ninth season and focuses on the personal and professional lives of several women residing in New York City . </P> <P> The series originally focused on Luann de Lesseps (briefly D'Agostino), Bethenny Frankel, Alex McCord, Ramona Singer, and Jill Zarin . The cast currently consists of de Lesseps, Frankel, Singer, Sonja Morgan, Carole Radziwill, Dorinda Medley and Tinsley Mortimer . 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, Radziwill in the fifth, Medley in the seventh, and Mortimer in the ninth . Other housewives include Kelly Killoren Bensimon (seasons 2--4), Cindy Barshop (season 4), Aviva Drescher (seasons 5--6), Heather Thomson (seasons 5--7), Kristen Taekman (seasons 6--7), and Jules Wainstein (season 8). </P>

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