Bravo might be headed to the Berkshires! According to Deadline, the network is in early development talks for a reality series set in Dorinda Medley’s iconic Blue Stone Manor estate. The series will star The Real Housewives of New York alum and be similar to Hulu’s Vanderpump Villa, where Lisa Vanderpump oversees her young staff working at her chateau. Bravo fans will be familiar with the eclectic Blue Stone Manor as it was featured several times during Medley’s RHONY run and later on the second season of Peacock’s The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip, where Medley hosted Housewives guests Taylor Armstrong, Brandi Glanville, Vicki Gunvalson, Tamra Judge, Eva Marcille, Phaedra Parks and Jill Zarin.
Blue Stone Manor is a sprawling 11,000-acre nine-bedroom estate is situated in Medley’s native Great Barrington, in Massachusetts’ Berkshire County. Built in 1901, the historic Tudor-style home was purchased by Medley’s late husband, Richard, in 2005. Following his 2011 death, Medley considered selling the house. Lucky for Bravo fans, she decided against it, and the home was the stage for some of RHONY‘s most memorable moments. In 2021, Medley put Blue Stone Manor up for rental on Airbnb. At the time, she told PEOPLE:
“Blue Stone Manor has become this urban legend, that’s sort of like the Disneyland of Housewives. People know me for hosting, and I’ve made it so available on Instagram and on the show, so I think they’re going to be very excited to see that it’s real and functioning.”
Why A Dorinda Medley-Led Series Could be a Hit for Bravo
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Medley is best known for her work on RHONY, where she appeared from 2015 to 2020 for seven seasons. Although Medley was a fan favorite, she was not asked by Bravo to return for the show’s thirteenth season. The Medley-less season went on to pull low viewership numbers and reviews, with loyal fans of the franchise deeming it “terrible.” The RHONY cast was completely revamped for its following season.
Besides appearing in the second season of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip (titled Ex-Wives Club) as the home’s host, she returned for the Peacock series’ fourth season, titled RHONY Legacy, appearing alongside fellow RHONY alumni Luann de Lesseps, Ramona Singer, Kelly Killoren Bensimon, Sonja Morgan, and Kristen Taekman.
RHONJ’s Melissa Gorga says a shakeup is needed after cast members have “played really dirty behind the scenes.”
A Bravo series centered around a business-savvy Housewives franchise star overseeing a young staff has done well before: Vanderpump Rules has been a ratings powerhouse for the network. That, coupled with Medley’s popularity, would likely result in a hit for Bravo. The timing is interesting, given Vanderpump Rules’ current hiatus. Following the show’s eleventh season, which centered on the aftermath of Scandoval, Bravo pumped the breaks on filming. During an interview following the show’s Season 12 reunion, producer Alex Baskin shared that “everyone needs time to reset” and that there was the possibility of a cast shakeup. With questions lingering about the return of Vanderpump Rules, the stage is set for a series with Medley at the helm of Blue Stone Manor. Of course, if the Bravo planets align, we’ll have both.
Medley will next appear in the third season of Peacock’s The Traitors US.