Bravo's The Real Housewives of New Jersey is currently in a real state of flux. With series veteran Teresa Giudice scheduled to report to prison in less than a week, executives are left scrambling to figure out what they should do with the show. Everything is being considered: bringing back former fan favorites, looking for new talent and even putting the show on hiatus for a year and figuring out what to do with it later. These are all up for consideration, and apparently Bravo has now decided that a little fan involvement in making the final decision could not hurt.
According to a report by Radar Online, focus groups are the way to go.
"Production is currently holding focus groups about moving forward without Teresa. They are trying to determine what the public perception was of the new cast and if any casting changes need to be made in regards to the new additions last season. If Bravo finds out that the public perception of the current cast is positive, they will likely begin filming in February; however, they are also exploring the option of putting on the show on a hiatus until the fall. This would allow them to play around with the cast if need be and film around the normal time frame the show films in, which is typically the fall," says a source for the show.
They are also reportedly very interested in bringing back former RHONJ regular, Kathy Wakile. When they brought her back for a few shows last season, the ratings were noticeably higher than they were without her. We have also heard that Caroline Manzo may return in the hopes that former fans of the show would be persuaded to tune back in again. Bravo has a lot of options on the table, but is it really in its best interests to crank out another season right now?
What are your thoughts on the future of RHONJ? Should it begin filming again in February as if everything is perfectly normal? Will bringing back familiar faces cause the ratings to spike, or should Bravo just let the show rest after all the negativity Giudice has helped bring to it? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below.
