The Real Housewives of Melbourne is officially returning after almost five years off air, but behind the scenes, the franchise has already undergone a dramatic transformation.
PEDESTRIAN.TV can reveal that ITV Australia has won the rights to produce the long-awaited reboot for Foxtel and Binge after what insiders have described as one of the most competitive reality TV pitching battles ever seen in Australia. The production company is responsible for a bunch of popular Aussie reality shows, including Love Island Australia, The Voice, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and My Kitchen Rules.
According to well-placed production sources, ITV beat out heavyweight rivals including Endemol Shine Australia, BBC Studios Australia, Eureka Productions and Warner Bros. to secure the iconic reality franchise — and apparently the decision came down to one major thing: humour.
“The feeling internally was that the show lost some of its magic when it became too focused on conflict over comedy,” one insider told us.
“ITV really understood that Melbourne works best when the women are naturally funny, outrageous and a little ridiculous. That humour is what made the franchise iconic in the first place.”
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Sources also said that ITV’s strong reputation for managing reality talent and maintaining good relationships with high-profile personalities played a major role in the final decision.
“There was a big focus on making the women feel supported this time around,” one insider from Foxtel claimed.
“Some production companies were seen as potentially too aggressive creatively. ITV came in with a very talent-friendly approach. The pitch had the decision-makers in tears, laughing at some of the creative visuals.”
Who will star in the Real Housewives of Melbourne reboot?
Now, casting is officially back in full swing, but insiders warn that viewers shouldn’t expect a simple OG reunion series.
P.TV understands that long-time fan favourite Gina Liano is believed to be the only original housewife confidently expected to return. Meanwhile, producers are reportedly more interested in finding fresh Melbourne socialites and untapped friendship groups than rebuilding the series around its former stars.
However, ITV’s reported “funny wins” philosophy may dramatically improve the chances of some of the franchise’s most entertaining veterans returning to screens.
Insiders say other OGs, including Lydia Schiavello, Gamble Breaux and Janet Roach, were allegedly considered less essential under some rival production visions. However, these names could now be viewed much more favourably under ITV’s lighter and more comedic direction.
“The women who can genuinely make people laugh suddenly became much more valuable again,” one insider said.
Foxtel and Binge have yet to officially confirm the casting, but multiple industry sources claim the reboot will look dramatically different to previous versions of the series and could become one of the biggest unscripted launches on Australian television next year.
