The Real Housewives franchise started on Bravo in 2006, in order to show details from the lives of wealthy women with luxurious lives. There are and have been series centered around Orange County, New York City, Atlanta, New Jersey, Washington, D.C., Beverly Hills, Miami, Potomac, and Dallas. There have also been spin-off shows and international versions.

Fans of these reality stars can’t get enough, and even people who—gasp!—do not like these shows or have never seen an episode get the general idea; there are shopping trips, vacations, parties, and cocktail hours full of drama! But what parts of it are real? Which cities are the world's favorites? How much money do they make? Why did this all begin? Where will it go from here?

All of that and more will be answered here today. Some people reading this article may have a bit of previous knowledge about these pieces of interesting info. On the other hand, there will also be some news that is not as well-known… yet still super juicy.

Yes, down below, there are 20 facts about this franchise and its cast members—the glam women who entertain many of us each and every week.

20 The Cast Is Told To Deliver Drama

According to the New York Post, Aviva Drescher was told to deliver drama. In return, she would get a five-month contract, so she started saying that Carole Radziwill utilized a ghostwriter for her book. Later, the Real Housewives of New York took a trip to Montana, and producers told Drescher not to miss it—but she did, due to asthma. She had to deliver the drama when the cameras were back on her, which led to her throwing her artificial leg in the Season 6 finale.

This iconic scene apparently wasn’t enough, though, as Drescher didn’t come back… which she thinks had something to do with how close Radziwill is with Andy Cohen.

19 It Was Inspired By ‘Desperate Housewives’ And ‘Peyton Place’

When Bravo first planned these shows, they were going to be like Desperate Housewives and Peyton Place—only real. They would focus on upper-class women, starting with those in a gated community in California. In 2007, Bravo announced a similar show, featuring a group of NYC socialites and their families, which was going to be called Manhattan Moms.

In 2010, the network proposed Miami Social Club. And originally, the world was going to have Ladies of Dallas as a spin-off of Ladies of London. As we know, though, these all are just a few of the Real Housewives series and part of this growing franchise!

18 Producers Want The Women Looking Glam - Not Like A ‘Drowned Rat’

Another Housewife from New York, Kelly Bensimon, said the producers told her they wanted her to look like herself. Therefore, she looked very natural while riding horses with the other cast members - but that seemed to be the wrong decision; the next time she was on camera, she was told to have her hair blown out and to wear more makeup, since she was a supermodel, not a drowned rat!

It definitely now makes more sense that these women are always seen with their glam squads, who help them pick out outfits and get ready for their scenes and days.

17 There Have Been 10 International Versions

As mentioned and as fans know, The Real Housewives of Orange County was the first of these shows, followed by New York, Atlanta, New Jersey, D.C., Beverly Hills, Miami, Potomac, and Dallas (though The Real Housewives of D.C. and The Real Housewives of Miami were both canceled).

In 2011, The Real Housewives of Athens premiered, and it was followed by shows set in Vancouver, Les Vraies, Melbourne, Cheshire, Auckland, Sydney, Toronto, Hungary, and Johannesburg. Melbourne, Cheshire, Hungary, and Johannesburg are still running, and a Bangkok version has been announced, but there is not a set premiere date for this show yet.

16 And There Have Been 18 Spin-Off Shows

Some people just keep up with the Housewives in one city. Many watch all of the U.S. installments. A few fans watch every single series within the franchise. And lots of people enjoy the spin-offs! So far, there have been 18 of them, and it all started with Date My Ex: Jo & Slade in 2008; Jo De La Rosa was an O.C. Housewife in seasons 1 and 2, back when Slade Smiley was with her and not another O.C. Housewife, Gretchen Rossi!

The most recent spin-off series has been thanks to Atlanta—Porsha's Having a Baby—and two of the most popular spin-offs are Don't Be Tardy and Vanderpump Rules.

15 The Women Can’t Sue Each Other

There are plenty of fights on these shows, but there is a limit… which was put to the test a couple of years ago; Joanna Krupa of Miami accused Brandi Glanville of Beverly Hills of defamation, and Glanville tried to fight this. According to reports in Town & Country Magazine and on Factinate, all of these ladies must sign a contract that says they won’t sue each other for whatever happens while filming their shows.

With Krupa and Glanville, some not-so-nice things were said, but these two eventually took care of all of it without having to go to court.

14 Future Cities May Include Nashville And New Orleans

With the success of this franchise, fans are always wondering what is next and making predictions about which cities could get their own shows (with rumors centered around places like Santa Barbara, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, and Boca Raton). In 2016, Andy Cohen said that Nashville could be the next locale for The Real Housewives.

He also said, while talking with Harry Connick Jr., that New Orleans could be a possibility. And if the ratings for these shows begin to drop, Cohen sees a super unique and exciting all-star version, where eight Housewives with big personalities end up on an island!

13 Vicki Is The OG, But It All Began With Her Son, Michael

It has already been said that The Real Housewives of Orange County was the first series in this franchise, making Vicki Gunvalson the original, the first, the OG of it all. It turns out that she may have her son to thank for all of this, though; rumor has it that Michael saw an ad in the newspaper about a new reality show and that when the team behind it showed up to meet him, they fell in love with his mom!

In the beginning, those O.C. kids were featured a great deal, but the women are now the stars whether they are chasing their babies around or whooping it up.

12 Big Parties Are A Big Selling Point

In an interview with the New York Post, Alex McCord, who used to be on a The Real Housewives of New York, said it was all about who could throw the biggest and the best party. Perhaps that is why her husband, Simon van Kempen, paid $5,000 on her birthday for a yacht and why fans have watched thousands of dollars get poured into many other events over the years.

That was back in 2008, though, and today, the production companies pay for the fun. Guess it was not big enough or good enough when the women and their families were buying it all?

11 Sometimes, Fake Friendships Bring On New Cast Members

When producers asked Kelly Bensimon to come on The Real Housewives of New York, she had never heard of it, even though it starred these affluent, powerful, and social women. So even though she didn’t know these people, the show made it seem like she was brought on by her dear friend LuAnn de Lesseps.

Bensimon said she had at least met The Countess, once, a few years ago… and Bravo’s vice president of current production, Ryan Flynn, said that he and his team look for organic and real and natural connections when casting for this franchise (guess not always!).

10 Big Decisions Need To Be Run By The Higher-Ups At Bravo

There are a few other things the head honchos do, besides just making it seem like all the Housewives are friends and have been for years. For instance, for 12 months after their series, the cast members can’t seek a public office. If they want to give their appearances a big update, they have to run it by producers.

And if the people behind-the-scenes at Bravo want to change up how events are playing out on the show, they can (the magic of editing and cutting = more drama). If a Housewife broke these rules, she could end up with a $50,000 fine or lawsuit, according to TheThings.

9 Atlanta And O.C. Are The Top-Rated Series

Most fans have their favorite cities and Housewives, but who likes which ones the best? Stats show that The Real Housewives of Atlanta is one of the most top-rated series, with as many as 3.737 million live viewers. Furthermore, Nielsen Media Research showed that The Real Housewives of Orange County came in at the number-five spot, when up against 100 different cable TV shows.

And when polling women in specific age groups, Bravo was the top primetime choice, as this successful franchise and other exciting television shows draw in many, many viewers!

8 But Atlanta Has The Least Amount Of Audience Crossover With The Other Shows/Cities

The Real Housewives of Atlanta is popular, but when compared to the other shows in the franchise, it has the least amount of crossover when it comes to audience members. Fifty percent of its fans do also watch The Real Housewives of Orange County and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, but there is only a 31 percent crossover with those who also watch The Real Housewives of Dallas.

Also, most people who tune in for RHOA live in/around Atlanta, New Orleans Charleston and New York City. Broadcasting & Cable and Inscape put together tons of neat facts like these!

7 They All Make Pretty Good Money

In the beginning, The Real Housewives earned $7,000 each season. Today, a Housewife could make $40,000 to $60,000 for her first season and up to $200,000 during her second season. Those who have been around for awhile do pretty well for themselves, as it is rumored that, each year, Vicki Gunvalson rakes in $750,000; Teresa Giudice, $1 million; Kandi Burruss, $1.8 million; and Lisa Vanderpump, $2 million.

They don’t get paid for reruns, though, and they don’t have to pay for the glam that is done on them during confessionals, which are filmed around eight times each season, in a studio that looks like individual homes.

6 And Many Of Them Are Entrepreneurs, Too

Many of these women don’t just get paychecks from reality TV. Tamra Judge has CUT Fitness. Ramona Singer has Ramona Pinot Grigio. Cynthia Bailey has The Bailey Agency School of Fashion. Melissa Gorga has Envy. Dorit Kemsley has Beverly Beach. LeeAnne Locken has L'Infinity. Not all of the ventures that fans have watched come about have been as successful as Skinnygirl or PUMP.

However, from mortuaries and insurance to beauty brands, fashion lines and toaster ovens, these famous women have done it all. A couple even own multiple businesses, all while also juggling filming, kids, and life in general.

5 11 Real Housewives Have Been On 'The Apprentice'

Speaking of The Real Housewives being seen and heard in more places that just on Bravo… Eleven of them have been on The Apprentice! This is another reality TV show, and it is all about business skills, which, as seen in the previous entry, many of these cast members possess (and which some just do not).

Since its start in 2004, these are the leading ladies who have been seen on it: Bethenny Frankel, Claudia Jordan, Lisa Rinna (twice!), NeNe Leakes, Teresa Giudice, Claudia Jordan, Brandi Glanville, Kenya Moore, Gina Liano (on the Australia version!), Kyle Richards, and Porsha Williams.

4 Reunions Are Even Longer Than They Seem

Looking back on episodes from the past is fun—especially the reunions; they used to be so calm and casual. Now, the women are in full-on evening gowns, and the whole thing comes in two or three parts. That means more thrills for the viewers to watch, but that also means more filming for the gals, Andy, and the crew to go through, too.

On reunion day, The Real Housewives get picked up at homes and driven to a private location. They then get pretty for the cameras, before everything gets crazy. And all of this ends up being a 10- to 12-hour day.

3 Fun Fact: Carole Radziwill Shared Baby With Meghan King Edmonds’ Brother

Carole Radziwill is no longer on The Real Housewives of New York, but fans know about her dog, Baby. How many people knew that she co-owned this dog with two other people? And how many know that one of the other owners is related to another Housewife from another city?

That is right—Baby belongs to Radziwill, Tripp Swanhaus, and RJ King, who is the O.C.’s Meghan King Edmonds’ brother! This may sound pretty strange or sort of cool to some, but the three all were in the same apartment building and decided to just share the fur baby.

2 And Many Of These Women Have Known Each Other For Years

True fans know that gal pals like Dallas’ Brandi Redmond and Stephanie Hollman and New York’s Sonja Morgan and Ramona Singer were friends before their shows ever started. Some other fun connections include actresses like Lisa Rinna and Eileen Davidson, both from The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills, knowing each other for years, as well as the familial links between Teresa Giudice, Melissa Gorga, and Kathy Wakile and between Caroline Manzo, Jacqueline Laurita, and Dina Manzo of New Jersey.

The bonds spread across to other cities, as well, since women like Bethenny Frankel of RHONY and Kyle Richards from RHOBH share photos of themselves from long ago!

1 Where Teresa Giudice Was Sent Was The Inspiration For 'Orange Is The New Black'

Orange is the New Black also has a tie-in story with The Real Housewives franchise; this television show was inspired by a book by Piper Kerman, after her time in the real-life locale… the same place Teresa Giudice was sent away to, as well! The book came out in 2010, and the series premiered in 2013.

Giudice's sentence ran from January 2015 to December 2015. In March of this year, her husband, Joe, finished up his 41-month sentence and is now being held at a facility for immigration detainees. The family is waiting to hear back on an appeal that was filed regarding Joe being sent back to Italy.

Sources: New York Post, Reality TV World, People, Town & Country, Variety, Yahoo, Bravo TV