“The Real Housewives of Rhode Island” Finally Sets a Premiere Date

RHORI season one poster. Courtesy of NBCUniversal

If you’ve scrolled through local socials at any point over the year, you’ve heard the rumblings that Rhode Island is the setting for the next Real Housewives installment. Whether you love it or hate, we are one step closer to seeing Little Rhody hit it big: Not only do we have a release date, but “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island” also just dropped its first trailer.

The inaugural season will premiere on Thursday, April 2, at 9 p.m. on Bravo. But don’t block off all your Thursday nights just yet: beginning April 5 the series will move to its regular timelsot of Sundays at 9 p.m. The episodes will also be available to stream the next day on Peacock.

Produced by Evolution Media with Andy Cohen set as an executive producer, the new show’s log line is as follows: “Welcome to the Ocean State. It may be America’s smallest, but don’t be fooled – the drama is wicked wild. In a place where everyone knows everyone and family names carry serious weight, nothing is ever truly forgotten. Friendships are built over decades, loyalties are deeply rooted and secrets are guarded at all costs … until betrayal strikes and the cracks begin to show.

Amid a season defined by evolving relationships and rising tensions, some of the group’s most pivotal moments unfold during unforgettable escapes. As the summer heat sizzles in Rhode Island, the ladies retreat to one of Newport’s most historic and privately owned mansions, Seaview Terrace, for a glamorous weekend that rivals the Gilded Age, where opulence sets the stage for major shake-ups. Later, a sun-drenched excursion to beloved East Coast getaway Block Island pushes tensions to a breaking point as two couples go head-to-head. When lines are crossed and truths surface, nothing – and no one – is off limits.”

It sure sounds like they have a good handle on Rhode Island social dynamics to us — and if the trailer is anything to go by, the show is sure to deliver the drama. Watch it for yourself below.

Rhode Islanders will also recognize many a familiar face, including “Bachelor” alum turned Warwick resident Ashley Iaconetti and former channel 10 news anchor Rosie DiMare. Here’s what Bravo has to say about each of the main cast members:

• Alicia Carmody is kick-starting her boss-babe era, pushing her way into her fiancé Billy’s popular restaurant, Pizza Mamma. A proud self-described “flip-flopper,” Alicia might call you a “whor-ah” one minute and pull you into a hug the next. When Alicia opens the vault on her past, she is faced with navigating long-standing relationships and personal growth that leaves one lifelong friend completely blindsided.
• Former Rhode Island television news anchor Rosie DiMare and her husband, Rich, are leveling up, trading their cozy over-the-garage apartment for a sprawling dream home. As Rosie focuses on growing her local lifestyle program, she also faces challenges within her inner circle, leaving her to reassess loyalties and where she truly fits in with this evolving, close-knit group.
• Fresh from finding her Prince Charming on television, influencer and former “The Bachelor” personality Ashley Iaconetti quickly learns that life after “I do” isn’t as blissful as she imagined. Between raising two young children, adjusting to life in Rhode Island and co-owning a struggling café with her husband, Jared, Ashley’s loyalties are tested when Rosie claims she never has her back.
• Rhode Island’s cannabis queen, Liz McGraw, isn’t just running one of the country’s most successful dispensaries, she’s also the person to know in the smallest state in the union. When she and husband Gerry learn they’re about to become grandparents, Liz makes one thing clear – she will not be trading couture for a rocking chair. As she prepares for a new chapter in her family life, shifting dynamics within her inner circle test her influence and the bonds she’s long held close.
• Grounded in tradition and guided by faith, Rulla Nehme Pontarelli puts family above all else. Proud of her Lebanese roots, she brings deeply held values into the group, especially when it comes to marriage. When rumors about her husband begin to circulate, Rulla is forced to confront uncomfortable questions that challenge her beliefs, resilience and commitment, putting her personal life under an unrelenting spotlight.
• Kelsey Swanson has lived a charmed life as a beauty queen playing house in a castle owned by her wealthy boyfriend. Now at a crossroads, Kelsey must decide between the comfort of her gilded arrangement and a future on her own terms. When her loyalty to Liz is tested, Kelsey worries about going up against the group’s heaviest hitter and losing her greatest cheerleader.
• Jo-Ellen Tiberi may not be known for cooking dinner, but she’s never short on spilling tea. When sensitive information involving Rulla’s marriage circulates within the group, Jo-Ellen finds herself caught between honesty and discretion. Unresolved issues with her mother resurface, forcing her to confront long-buried childhood wounds and reckon with the personal cost of always being the one who tells it like it is.

  Meanwhile, Real Housewives franchise friends will be excited to see RHONJ star, Dolores Catania, pop up to visit her friend, Liz McGraw, and embarking together on a new “entrepreneurial venture — a menopause gummy brand — while soaking up some sun, fun and a little drama along the way.”

While the Ocean State is no stranger to big, Hollywood-esque productions (see: “The Gilded Age,” Hocus Pocus 2, a new M. Night Shyamalan movie filming this summer, and so on), it’s not very often we get the opportunity to put the spotlight on actual Rhode Islanders doing Rhode Island things.

“We’re excited to welcome ‘The Real Housewives’ and their millions of viewers to Rhode Island,” Governor Dan McKee said in a statement when the show was originally announced last year. “Our state is home to vibrant communities, amazing food, rich history, and stunning coastal beauty—perfect for the spotlight. This is a great opportunity to support our local economy and bring national attention to all Rhode Island has to offer.”

Guess we will all just have to tune in on April 2 to see if they truly do Rhody right!