Bravo fans flock to the network because they know they can expect engaging, high-quality reality TV. Whether it's The Real Housewives, Below Deck, or Top Chef, Bravo consistently delivers some of the most talked-about unscripted television, and they've been doing it for years. In the early 2000s, Bravo transitioned from being a network focused on the arts to one focused on pop culture and fueled by reality television and they've had dozens and dozens of reality shows since.
Some throwback Bravo shows have a cult following, like Ladies of London or Gallery Girls, but others have fallen through the cracks of time, eclipsed by more popular franchises as the network continuously evolves. Take a walk down memory lane, and revisit some of Bravo's forgotten reality TV shows from years gone by.
Mother Funders
2015's Mother Funders was like "The Real Housewives of the Parent Teacher Organization." The show's cast consisted of PTO mothers eager to raise money and support their children's elementary school. Like The Real Housewives, fans appreciated the show's blend of comedy and drama, but the real-life school district didn't find the show so entertaining.
According to an article from WABE, the school district did not want Bravo to feature the school's name or the district's name, but it happened anyway. The school district was also concerned by the show's drama. Much of the action focused on the power struggles for control over the PTO. It sparked a legal issue, and the school district shut down the PTO in the aftermath of the show. Perhaps that explains why there was never a second season.
Married To Medicine: Houston
While the original, Atlanta-based edition of Married To Medicine is going strong, the other cities in the franchise haven't been so lucky. Married to Medicine: Los Angeles slowly faded away after two seasons. But most fans forget that before Los Angeles, there was Married to Medicine: Houston, which had an even shorter shelf life.
Married To Medicine: Houston followed the same formula as the original show, with women working in the medical field or married to someone in the medical field coming together to form a social circle. The show had all of the elements of a great reality show, so it's unclear why Married To Medicine: Houston didn't get a second season. With only 10 episodes (the show didn't even have a reunion special), Bravo fans barely had a chance to get to know the cast.
Cyrus Vs. Cyrus: Design & Conquer
Bravo fans might have forgotten about the short-lived show Cyrus Vs. Cyrus: Design & Conquer perhaps because it sounds like a better match for HGTV. The show featured Miley Cryus's mom and sister, Tish and Brandi Cyrus. In each episode, they created an interior design and competed against each other to see which option the client would choose.
With only six 30-minute episodes that aired back in 2017, it's really easy to forget this show ever existed on Bravo.
RelationShep
Back in 2017, Bravo was eager to produce new shows featuring some of their most beloved Bravolebrities. Not only did Bethenny Frankel and Ryan Serhant get spinoffs that year, but so did Southern Charm's Shep Rose.
Fans followed Shep's dating life on Southern Charm, so Bravo gave him his own show to focus on finding his perfect match. The six-episode series followed Shep as he made stops around the country, seeking dates with eligible bachelorettes. By the end, he chose New York City's Bella Clark, but their relationship fizzled out off-camera, once the show wrapped. Now, fans just have to tune into Southern Charm to see Shep's latest misadventures in dating.
Hey Paula
Kathy Griffin: My Life On the D-List proved that celebrity-focused reality shows could be a hit for Bravo. They attempted to recreate the show's success with Paula Abdul. American Idol breathed new life into Paula Abdul's career in the early 2000s. Fans loved her quirky and positive attitude, which helped inspire Bravo to introduce a reality series focusing on her life.
However, fans were surprised that Paula on Bravo wasn't the same as the Paula they knew on American Idol. A review from Variety went as far as to call her an "evil twin," and many viewers commented on her less-than-friendly demeanor towards her staff throughout the season. Ultimately, Hey Paula didn't live up to fans' expectations and it was canceled after one season, making it an easily forgotten gem in pop culture history.
Queer Eye For The Straight Girl
Queer Eye For The Straight Guy was a landmark series and helped kick off a new direction for Bravo in the early 2000s. The network execs were eager to continue the show's success, which prompted the forgotten spinoff, Queer Eye For The Straight Girl. In the spinoff, the "Fab Five" were swapped out for the "Gal Pals," a group of three gay men and a lesbian. Just like the original show, the group helped one subject in each episode transform their life through an ambush-style makeover.
Critics were harsh on the show, though, with Variety noting how it failed to capture the same charm and chemistry as the original. Thus, Queer Eye For The Straight Girl only stuck around for one season in 2005. However, the concept lives on today through Netflix's Queer Eye, where people of all genders have the opportunity to get a makeover from the Fab Five.
100 Days Of Summer
With a name that pays homage to a beloved rom-com, fans had high hopes for 100 Days Of Summer. However, it never really lived up to the hype, making it easy for Bravo fans to forget that it ever happened.
100 Days of Summer followed wealthy Chicago socialites as they navigated a summer in the city. It seemed promising, and there were sprinklings of drama that reality TV fans crave, but ultimately, fans agreed there wasn't anything particularly memorable about any of the cast members and the show only stuck around for one season in 2014.
Platinum Hit
With the success of shows like The Voice and American Idol, it's understandable why every network on cable tried to cash in on the music competition genre. Bravo's answer to the trend was Platinum Hit. Led by Jewel and Kara DioGuardi, its distinguishing characteristic was that it focused on songwriting, rather than just performing.
Still, many fans forget that this show ever existed because, despite its name, it didn't produce any major hits. Twelve singer-songwriters competed to win a cash prize and a recording contract with a major record label, but it didn't produce a Kelly Clarkson or Carrie Underwood, by any means.
Timber Creek Lodge
Bravo has a formula for creating shows documenting service workers in their workplace. Of course, Below Deck is the leader in the genre, launching the careers of a new generation of Bravolebrities. Timber Creek Lodge seemed like it could have been Bravo's next big hit, but it quickly disappeared after one season.
The show followed the crew at a luxurious mountain cabin as they worked to please their guests by planning meals and wintery adventures. Of course, there was behind-the-scenes drama and hookups that kept viewers tuned in. But since the show only stuck around for one season, Below Deck and its many spinoffs have eclipsed Timber Creek Lodge.
Thintervention With Jackie Warner
Fitness expert and personal trainer to the stars, Jackie Warner, was a mainstay on Bravo for years. Her show, Work Out, followed her and some of the trainers at her gym, and the drama that followed them in their day-to-day lives. The concept was a hit from 2006 to 2008, and it even inspired a spinoff based in New York City. Jackie's presence on Bravo continued after Work Out. She hosted Thintervention with Jackie Warner, where various clients worked on losing weight.
Bravo hasn't had many shows focused on weight loss, so it's easy to forget that this one-season wonder actually happened. What made Thintervention different from most weight-loss programs is that instead of sending the participants to a boot camp, Jackie worked with them in their homes. The show even had a little crossover with The Real Housewives, as RHOC alum Jeana Keough was a cast member, and she worked towards her goal of losing 25 pounds.