The Real Housewives of Melbourne season 1
| Company type | Television season |
|---|---|
| Industry | Reality television |
| Founded | February 23, 2014 |
| Fate | Completed |
| Headquarters | Melbourne , Australia |
Key people | Kylie Washington, Lisa Potasz (executive producers) |
| Parent | Matchbox Pictures |
The inaugural season of The Real Housewives of Melbourne, an Australian reality television program, was broadcast on Arena from 23 February until 11 May 2014. Primarily shot in Melbourne, Victoria, the series was executive produced by Kylie Washington and Lisa Potasz.
Spanning twelve episodes, the show chronicles the lives of Jackie Gillies, Chyka Keebaugh, Gina Liano, Andrea Moss, Janet Roach, and Lydia Schiavello.
Production and crew
Initially announced by Matchbox Pictures under the title The Real Housewives of Australia with a planned 2013 release, the series was later retitled The Real Housewives of Melbourne. The cast was unveiled on 28 July 2013. Over a selection period lasting eight months, producers chose six women from more than one hundred applicants. Filming commenced in July 2013, with the official cast photograph and premiere date revealed in January 2014.
Upon its debut, it became the second highest-rated Australian series premiere following SoHo's Wentworth. The two-part reunion special, hosted by Alex Perry, was recorded in late March 2014.
The season opened with the episode "First Impressions" on 23 February 2014. The tenth installment, "Here's to Happy Endings," concluded the regular season on 27 April 2014. This was succeeded by a two-part reunion aired on 4 and 11 May 2014.
Executive producers Kylie Washington and Lisa Potasz oversaw production alongside Euan Jones, Virginia Hodgson, and Philippa Rubira. The series was produced by Matchbox Pictures and distributed through NBCUniversal International Television Production.
Cast and synopsis
Season one of The Real Housewives of Melbourne spotlights six affluent and sophisticated women known for their luxurious lifestyles and dramatic interactions: Jackie Gillies, Chyka Keebaugh, Gina Liano, Andrea Moss, Janet Roach, and Lydia Schiavello.
Jackie Gillies, the youngest cast member and originally from Croatia, is married to Ben Gillies, drummer for the Australian rock group Silverchair. Together they have launched La Máscara, an alcohol brand, and own real estate in both Australia and Croatia. Additionally, Gillies works professionally as a psychic catering to celebrity clients.
Chyka Keebaugh is a well-established businesswoman and mother who co-founded The Big Group with her husband Bruce. This company ranks among Melbourne’s largest privately owned catering and event enterprises and is currently undergoing local expansion.
Gina Liano is a divorced criminal barrister with fourteen years of legal experience. She also engages in property development and holds credentials as an art gallery curator. Coming from a family renowned for fashion design, Liano has primarily concentrated on law and real estate ventures.
Andrea Moss has a background as a television reporter in New York and Sydney. Married to plastic surgeon Dr. Chris Moss, she assists in managing his Liberty Belle Skin Centre while contributing to its business growth. Moss is also authoring a book aimed at supporting mothers returning to the workforce.
Janet Roach is a self-made property developer involved in creating a large lifestyle village for seniors in Mildura while renovating her estate in Red Hill. Recently divorced, she manages her business alongside family duties, including caring for her son recovering from serious burn injuries.
Lydia Schiavello is married to architect and property developer Andrew Norbury. She balances frequent private jet travel with studying interior design at RMIT University. Schiavello actively participates in philanthropic efforts through the Murdoch Children's Research Institute while managing various family obligations.
Reception
The inaugural season of The Real Housewives of Melbourne achieved a milestone for Foxtel, becoming the network's top-rated reality show with an initial audience of 542,000 viewers and maintaining an average viewership of no less than 428,000 per episode. Brian Walsh, Foxtel’s Executive Director of Television, hailed the series as transformative for the channel, highlighting its exceptional ratings, dynamic social media engagement, and widespread excitement.
U.S. ratings
When the show debuted on Bravo in the United States on 3 August 2014 during an afternoon timeslot, it attracted around 414,000 viewers for its premiere and 403,000 for the following episode. This marked a 39% increase in total viewers and a 42% growth in the younger audience segment compared to the same time periods in the previous month.
Awards
In 2015, Paula Zorgdrager earned an AACTA nomination for Best Editing in Television for the first episode; however, the award went to The Code. That same year, season one was also nominated for Most Outstanding Reality Program at the ASTRA Awards but was ultimately bested by The Recruit.
Taglines
- Andrea: "Never come between a woman and her plastic surgeon."
- Chyka: "My fabulous life comes down to love and laughter- not luck."
- Gina: "I’ll give you my opinion, but you’d better be ready to hear it."
- Jackie: "My husband may be a rock star but now it’s my turn to shine, shine, shine!"
- Janet: "When life throws rocks, I melt them down into diamonds."
- Lydia: "I may look like a jetsetter, but my feet are firmly on the ground."
Episodes
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No. in season |
Title | Original air date | Overnight Australian viewers |
|---|
Home media release
The initial season became available on DVD for region 4 on 6 November 2014.