Vanderpump Villa Offers a Refreshing Dose of Reality TV

In the vast arena of reality TV, where drama reigns supreme, viewers are always on the lookout for the next unscripted guilty pleasure that will captivate their attention and keep them committed to coming back for more. And yes, there’s still plenty of binge-worthy staples to enjoy like the Real Housewives, Vanderpump Rules, or even The Challenge, but after just a few episodes of its first season, we officially have to acknowledge that a new reality tv titan has arrived. Hulu’s own Lisa Vanderpump collaboration — Vanderpump Villa.

Vanderpump Villa: Hulu

Having learned from some of the key ingredients of Vanderpump Rules, the restauranteur and RHOBH legend’s newest endeavor Vanderpump Villa rectifies the loss of a workplace-oriented series after VPR was required to in order to organically focus on a widely known ensemble of personalities. With Vanderpump Villa, the series enlists a slew of faces who are new to the reality television scene (and a few who have complicated dynamics) to have them work alongside each other in the French countryside — while living, filming, and working together. It’s a recipe for the best kind of disaster.

By avoiding the pitfalls of forced or over-produced storylines amongst friends that can sometimes plague long-running reality shows, Vanderpump Villa presents an opportunity for genuine interactions and authentic drama to unfold. Of course, that doesn’t imply that people aren’t acting up for camera time, but at least in this case where there aren’t any established bonds (aside from our favorite abrasive duo of Hannah and Marciano), people’s reactions are entirely genuine.

Something that impressively sets Vanderpump Villa apart from other fan-favorite workplace reality series like Below Deck or the early years of its predecessor Vanderpump Rules is its compelling twist of taking the cast out of their comfort zones. By setting the series in a luxurious villa out of the country as opposed to a restaurant or the familiarity of a yacht, the dynamics between the cast members are prone to shift at any given moment, creating new and unexpected tensions and friendships. And in all honesty, just trying to keep up with the ever-changing allegiances is enough to feel like you’re watching a high-stakes season of Big Brother.

Furthermore, Vanderpump Villa boasts a cast of loud, explosive personalities that harken back to the early seasons of Vanderpump Rules. These individuals are unafraid to speak their minds, causing sparks to fly and tensions to rise as they clash and collaborate in equal measure. The raw, unfiltered nature of their interactions and emotions feels reminiscent of the glory days of reality TV, when authenticity reigned supreme, and drama unfolded organically. Unlike some of the recent seasons of RHOBH — but I digress.

With its fresh approach to storytelling, diverse cast of characters, and distinct personalities, Vanderpump Villa is primed to take its place among the greats of the reality TV genre and carve out its own over-the-top legacy.