Lisa Vanderpump may have brought SUR back to TV, but Bravo viewers didn’t exactly rush to the relaunch. The reboot of “Vanderpump Rules,” which premiered December 2, drew just 290,000 live viewers, according to Nielsen — an 80% drop from season 11 and the lowest live-viewed episode in the franchise’s history.
Instead of familiar faces like Jax Taylor, Tom Sandoval, and Ariana Madix, a brand-new cast of West Hollywood servers is now leading the series, and early numbers suggest fans aren’t sold yet.
Low Ratings Already Put ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Reboot in Jeopardy, Insiders Say
A production insider told The U.S. Sun that Bravo executives are already worried the reboot isn’t delivering the comeback they envisioned. “Bravo execs are struggling with the reboot. First of all, they don’t find the show to be as good,” the source claimed. “The cast is not landing with the audience like the network thought before they filmed, and this big revival turned out to be a letdown.”
The insider added, “Based on early numbers, the lack of audience reaction, engagement, and overall interest, it’s likely at this point that the reboot will not come back. It seems like ‘Vanderpump Rules’’ time on TV has come to an end if they can’t turn the ship around.”
Part of the concern reportedly stems from Lisa’s busy schedule and her work with other networks, including Hulu’s “Vanderpump Villa.” Still, another source pushed back, insisting Lisa “has been very generous with her time promoting this show,” including attending a SUR event on Monday. “It would be inaccurate to say it’s ‘not looking likely’ that the reboot would be picked up again with the same cast,” the insider said.
Only two episodes have aired, meaning the series still has time to find its footing. The new cast — Venus Binkley, Jason Cohen, Shayne Davis, Chris Hahn, Angelica Jensen, Marcus Johnson, Audrey Lingle, Natalie Maguire, Demy Selem, and Kim Suarez — hopes to follow in the footsteps of the original “Vanderpump Rules” stars, who became reality icons.
But unless interest grows, Bravo may decide the era of VPR 2.0 is shorter than anyone expected.
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