Bravo Exec Andy Cohen To Pen Memoir

AHN.com:

Bravo Executive Vice-President and “Watch What Happens Live” host Andy Cohen has signed a book deal.


The 43-year-old, who helped make the cable network a success with hit shows like “Project Runway,” Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List” and “The Real Housewives” franchise, announced Monday that he is about to write his first book about his life experience, reports The Hollywood Reporter.


“It'll be a memoir, of sorts, about my intersections with pop culture over the years, from growing up in front of the TV as a kid in St. Louis to my years at CBS News, all the way up to today,” Cohen said on his blog. “The stories I've been saving up are funny and improbable and really define who I am today.”


The executive, who is gay, will also discuss his journey towards coming to terms with his sexuality, his beginnings with CBS news as a reporter and producer, and his current position as head of original programming at Bravo.


“This is something I've always wanted to do and, if you've read this blog much over the past seven years, you know that writing is something I enjoy,” he wrote. “And, yes, I will write every word of it, I don't know how I could settle for anything less than writing it myself. I started last weekend and have much work to do (understatement) before it comes out next summer.”

Andy Cohen Opens Up On What All The Real Housewives Have Taught Him

Glamour.com:

I love my job. As executive vice president of original programming and development at Bravo, I oversee the production of every episode of every single one of our shows. And as the host of Watch What Happens: Live and the Housewives reunion shows, I get to speak to the casts directly and ask them the questions we’re all dying to know the answers to. The Housewives are real women with real problems, real highs and lows—people might think they’re acting or playing to the camera, but they’re truly not. They’re just like you. It just so happens that their hair is blonder and their boobs are bigger than most. Underneath the makeup and bling are people women relate to—you like them or love them or hate them or laugh or cry with them or roll your eyes. My front-row seat to the Bravo drama has taught me a lot about the psychology of women (and men!). So I’m here to share what I’ve gleaned about life, friendships and love from those Housewives, little dogs and opinionated matchmakers. Enjoy!
“I want it all. I want success. I want love. I want my marriage perfect. And it’s not.”
—Vicki Gunvalson, The Real Housewives of Orange County


What I’ve learned about relationships: Talking matters!


I look at love and marriage through the lens of The Real Housewives of Orange County. The biggest thing I’ve learned is that you’ve got to communicate. For example, take Vicki and Donn Gunvalson, who split up last season. I think part of their problem is that the two of them never really heard each other or met halfway. She needed to be listened to, and he needed to be validated. But that never happened, and as Vicki said, her love tank just wasn’t full.


And another lesson: You need to be able to be your own person and be a full woman outside of the relationship—you can’t let it be the only defining thing about you! If you look at Orange County, some of the wives are not given any freedom or independence within their relationship. This past season there was an episode in which Alexis Bellino went to a dinner party without her husband, Jim, and she had a breakdown because she didn’t know how to enjoy it without him. With Tamra and Simon Barney, she said he was very controlling of her, where she was going and what she was doing. Relationships like that are unsustainable.


But as a counterpoint, look at Alex McCord from the New York cast. She’s unapologetic about how she and her husband, Simon, do everything together, and I know she still considers herself to be very modern and independent. For some women, it works; for others, it doesn’t.

Andy Cohen Talks "Real Housewives" On Bloomberg TV

h/t: J. Austin @ Bloomberg.net

Andy Cohen Denies 'Real Housewives' of Vegas, Scottsdale Reports

Neither of these cities made sense to begin with:

Newspapers in both cities claim camera crews have been spotted shooting wealthy wives across town.


Bravo exec Andy Cohen denies reports the channel's popular Real Housewives franchise is headed to Las Vegas and Scottsdale, Arizona.


Newspapers in both cities claim camera crews have been spotted shooting wealthy wives across town and testing out possible candidates for the shows. Among the women reportedly being filmed: Wayne Newton's publicist, Tricia McCrone (for Vegas) and Phoenix Suns basketball star Steve Nash's ex-wife, Alejandra (for Scottsdale).


But in a Tweet Friday, Cohen said, "Bravo is not shooting or casting for Vegas or Arizona Housewives. It is not true and we have no association to either project."

Andy Cohen Suggests Kristin Chenoweth as Star of The Real Housewives of Broadway

Broadway.com:

Now that Bravo’s super-popular Real Housewives franchise has covered the map, what about bringing it home to the Big Apple with The Real Housewives of Broadway? Broadway.com editor-in-chief Paul Wontorek floated that idea in a recent Show People episode featuring Tony nominee Orfeh, so we decided to go straight to the top and get a reaction from Bravo programming chief Andy Cohen.


“I’m into The Real Housewives of Broadway,” Cohen said. “Yeah, I would be into that! But you’ve gotta find some ladies. Gotta call Ms. Chenoweth and see if she can put something together. I would need her in the cast.”


Tony winner Kristin Chenoweth has already sampled Real Housewives-style bickering: During a November 2010 episode of Cohen’s talk show Watch What Happens Live, she and Promises, Promises co-star Molly Shannon reenacted fights from The Real Housewives of Atlanta, including a wig-pulling brawl that got Cohen into the action.


But what about the fact that Chenoweth is not actually a housewife? No problem! “Bethenny was in season one [of The Real Housewives of New York City], and she was single,” Cohen pointed out. In the three years since then, Ms. Frankel has become a reality show regular, chronicling her marriage, pregnancy and competing on Skating With the Stars. Just think of the fun of seeing Chenoweth's late-night tweeting live!

Andy Cohen Interview with "Cultist" (Miami's Culture Blog)

MiamiNewTimes.com:

Andy Cohen's got the 411. But come April 16th, he'll also have the 305 when he acts as the Grand Marshal of the Miami Beach Gay Pride Parade and Festival.


And in case you've already written Cohen off as nothing more than an overly happy, cross-eyed referee for dueling Housewife reunions, let us just say he's so much more. Think of him as the Wizard of Oz of Bravo, taking over the network's development and production slate and bringing on a bevy of reality gems.


In the following Q&A, he explains why Real Housewives of Miami was only six weeks, why they had to do the reunion live, and what Elsa Patton has in common with a hairless pomeranian named Jiggy.


New Times: Did you ever imagine you'd become an on-air personality?


Andy Cohen: I did not. When I went to college, I wanted to be a reporter or an anchor man but I kind of gave that up when I graduated because I moved straight to New York and got a job right out of college at CBS New York and I was like 'Wow, I'm not going to beat this'. I wasn't going to go to Dubuque [Iowa] and try to work my way up from small market to small market. So for this to happen now, 21 years into my career, it's wild. And exciting. And fun.


What's your favorite part about your job?


Too many to count! Just talking to people and getting to know people and having fun with them, being on Watch What Happens Live!, I don't even call that a job. My mom came to the show with me last night and we were getting home at 12:30 and I was like 'Can you believe that's even considered work, what I just did?' It's just fun.


Least favorite part about your job?


I hate negotiating contracts. It just gets really personal and nasty, not nasty, but very personal and sensitive.


Is there going to be a reality show in the future about Andy Cohen? What would it be called?


It would be called "Enough of Andy". I mean, I already over-share, I'm very active on Twitter, I have a blog, I have a live show that's on twice a week where I throw my opinions around, so I don't think there's a market for it. I don't think there's a need for it. Yeah.


Are there any shows you took a chance with and were surprised they became successful?


The Real Houswives. It was something that we all thought could be interesting but you just never know what's going to resonate. And Top Chef! And that the title of 'Top Chef' actually means something to a lot of people and a lot of chefs is something we're all very proud of here.


It seems like Bravo shows shot in Miami [Miami Social and the Real Housewives of Miami] have some ratings challenges. Any insight on this?


I don't know, I feel pretty good about the Miami Housewives. We threw it on with not a lot of promotion and I think those woman are great characters. The truth of the matter was, we put it on because everyone in America was going through such a horrible winter and we just kind of realized we had Miami on the shelf, ready to go, and we needed a little more time to finish New York [Housewives] to make it perfect. Let's throw it on as a six-week kind of antidote to all the winter madness.


And then by the time we decided to do a reunion show, we were three weeks in and didn't have time to post it properly, so we decided to do one live. And I think the fact that we [did] a live reunion show speaks to our wanting to do something to celebrate the end of the show.

After Show with Elsa and Marysol Patton: Part II

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Listen, I know and understand why everyone loves Marysol's mom and all, but I gotta and say that that mug is hard to look at.

Andy Cohen On Which Housewife Has "Stayed Grounded" And "Changed" The Most

Those are really good questions. From afar I'd agree with him on Vicki staying grounded the most and while my first thought on whose changed the most would be Nene, come to think of it now I'd say Tamra.

Andy Cohen Dishes on ‘Real Housewives’: Miami Is the Last Stop on the Train

OKmagazine.com:

When Bravo launched the Real Housewives of Miami, it seemed like there was hope for a franchise in every city. However, Bravo’s Andy Cohen exclusively tells OK! that Miami is the last stop for the Housewives train. Last night, OK! talked to the host with the most as he helped celebrate MCC Theater’s 25th Anniversary in NYC. Andy sounded off on some of the most controversial housewives in seasons past and he even told OK! which franchise he would love to see Whitney Houston star in!


When asked about which city he would look to next to find more housewives, he told OK!, “I really feel like we’re done.” So is Miami the last stop on the Housewives train? Andy answered, “Yeah.”


But if any housewife thinks this is her chance to star in a spin-off series like Bethenny Frankel, she should think again. Andy explained of the other housewives, “I think they’re all good where they are.”

Hmmm....surprised that Andy would say that Miami is the last stop considering how successful the franchise still is (and growing). I'd heard and read about San Francisco and Dallas being the next stops, but always thought they needed to go midwest. 

The Real Beverly Hills Housewives Party at Villa Blanca

Part 2

The Talk - Andy Cohen on 'The Real Housewives' Behind The Scenes

Andy Cohen Speaks Out About Heidi Montag Drama

USAToday.com:

Leave it to Andy Cohen, the man behind Bravo's Real Housewives franchise to stir up drama with one of the reality TV world's most notorious players: Heidi Montag.


After she claimed to be joining the next Beverly Hills Housewives cast, Cohen shot back with a colorful denial, saying, "That trash is delusional and I would sooner stab knives into my own eyes than see her on this network."


Whoa.


USA TODAY's Arienne Thompson happened to be sitting behind Cohen at designer Prabal Gurung's Fashion Week show this afternoon and asked him about the drama.


"I think I already said enough. I got a little carried away," he said, sounding a bit exasperated about the whole thing. "There was just a flood of untrue Housewives rumors last week and I just hit my tipping point."


For her part, Montag says Cohen's just being a big bully. "Andy's tasteless remarks were hurtful and completely unnecessary," she told People. "I have always been a fan of the Housewives franchise and I don't appreciate being bullied."

God, is there any idiot on the planet who hasn't jumped on the "bully" bandwagon? Good job by Andy for being totally honest on how the rest of America feels about the attention hogs that are "Speidi"--he shouldn't take anything he said back.

Andy Cohen Snubs The Real Housewives of New York City

Sounds like, just as I expected, the RHONY cast without Bethenny is just too boring:

Andy Cohen, The Real Housewives producer, sent an email to the New York City cast announcing their season premiere would be delayed by a couple of months. Or so.


The Real Housewives of New York City was slated to air after the Real Housewives of Atlanta cleared up their Nene Leakes conspiracy theories in mid February.


But no can do. The Real Housewives of Miami will air instead of the ladies in New York. It's already been stated that the NYC cast has been pushed back because this year's season doesn't have too much drama. It is said that this season the seven housewives, minus Bethenny Frankel, got along this season.


Not many could blame Bethenny for leaving after she married Jason and had a baby and listened to Kelly and Jill attack her at every turn. Bethenny then took off with her own hit show, Bethenny Getting Married, a show that surpassed the Housewives ratings.


Frankel was replaced by a new housewife, Cindy Barshop a hair removal guru with twin daughters.


To date, the Atlanta Housewives have the highest ratings, although Season 3 ratings of the Real Housewives of New York City were reportedly good. However, the fighting between all of the cast members made the season especially intense. The hurt feelings, broken friendships were irreconcilable even at the reunion, and as expected, the most durable and commercial housewife, Frankel exited.


Season 4 of the Real Housewives of New York City has a different set of producers and the New York Daily News said that the early viewer reaction to trailers of the NYC cast was not good.


Consequently, the show is being pushed back to make for editing purposes, NYC Housewives star Sonja Morgan explained.


Cohen has not uttered a word on the return of The Real Housewives of DC, another franchise mired in bickering because most of the DC socialites said they were skeptical about filming again with Michelle Salahi and her husband, the infamous White House party crashers.


Cohen asked NYC cast members not to tweet the email marked urgent, but in the email said the show would not make its scheduled February 22 air date, but instead would air in the spring, perhaps March or April.


The Real Housewives of Miami features former Chicago Bulls star Scottie Pippin's wife, Larsa Pippen and five others.

If this is all true then the blames lie with whatever idiots picked Cindy Barshop to replace Bethenny in the first place. From the moment I heard her name and read about her, she just seemed too nice (i.e. "dull") and again, why the need for 7 'Housewives' anyway? Seven is just too much. RHONY didn't need somebody to be contrived and phony (like Phaedra on RHOA), just someone with their own, unique personality, who could stir things up a little bit. Sonja was a good addition, but when it comes to confrontation she holds back too much. Sure, there'll never be another Bethenny, but more effort could've been made to find someone close to meeting Bethenny's charm, wit and ability to get in Team Jill's condescending, self-important, lying asses when needed to. It's sad that its come to this, but better they fix whatever's wrong then have viewers start calling for them to replace the whole lot. Really now, didn't they learn anything from the Jennifer Gilbert Experiment? Somewhere you just know Bethenney's smirking at this news.

Giggy and Grandma Wrinkles Tie The Knot

Source

Saturday Night Live Spoofs 'Real Housewives'

Source

For ‘Housewives,’ Wallflowers Need Not Apply

NYTimes.com:

AFTER five incarnations of “The Real Housewives” series, it’s safe to say that Andy Cohen knows his way around women. As senior vice president for original programming and development for Bravo and the host of the cable network’s self-referential “Watch What Happens Live,” he helps to stir the pot, overseeing the catfights, the marital meltdowns and even the fisticuffs that have become de rigueur among the ladies who lunch and feud in Orange County, New York City, Atlanta, New Jersey and Washington. 

These days the ladies he’s lusting after are pure Southern California glitz. Beginning on Thursday night at 10 “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” will induct six new women into the franchise: Taylor Armstrong, a businesswoman who relies on facial fillers to keep her marriage to a venture capitalist intact; Camille Grammer, a former dancer — Club MTV, vintage 1988 — perhaps best known as the soon-to-be-ex of the actor Kelsey Grammer; Adrienne Maloof, part of a family dynasty that owns the Sacramento Kings, the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas and the Maloof Money Cup, the world’s largest skateboarding competition; Kim and Kyle Richards, quarreling sisters, onetime child stars and aunts of Paris Hilton; and Lisa Vanderpump, a restaurant owner and, according to her husband, sex object. “Every time he wants sex, I object,” Ms. Vanderpump explains in her husky British purr. 

“I love the franchise, and I love these women so much,” Mr. Cohen said recently, while driving to his weekend home in Sag Harbor on Long Island. His voice nearly beamed. “They all make me smile.”
In these excerpts from an interview with Kathryn Shattuck, Mr. Cohen talked about choosing the show’s newest locale, casting the right mix of housewives and perfecting the proper balance of tension and camaraderie. 

Q. What’s new about “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills”? 

A. It’s about women who live in the most famous ZIP code in the world. They’re wealthy beyond anything we’ve seen before, and they’re pretty much all moms. Many of them are successful businesswomen, and they’re all friends. 

To say that we’re going to do “The Housewives of Beverly Hills” is a daunting task because it almost seems too obvious. It’s such eye candy. It’s dazzling to look in these women’s homes. I wanted Beverly Hills to pass what I call the Jackie Collins test. We wanted the city and the housewives to be aspirational. We wanted other women to look at them and think, “I want that.” 

Q. History has shown that the “Housewives” usually go in as friends and come out as something else entirely. Do the women know what they’re signing on for? 

A. We cast women with very strong points of view and something to say, so I think it’s natural to go into this wondering how it’s going to go down. We cast women who are going to let us into their lives and let us into what they’re thinking and be unfiltered. We don’t cast women who are going to edit themselves.

Real Housewives Remember & Reflect On 9/11

Babble.com:

Today, many people are remembering the events that happened on September 11th nine years ago. It’s a sad day in our nation’s history when thousands lost their lives on that day plus all the lives that have been lost in the aftermath of wars and conflict. And it’s not just you and me who are taking a moment to reflect and remembers 9/11. Those Real Housewives are too! Here are what the cast members of the Real Housewives shows are saying about this emotional day.


Jacqueline Laurita
“I have been in tears all day w/the reading of all the names of people lost in 9-11. :0( God Bless all XO Peace, prayers, and Blessings! XOXO!”


“My Father is a retired Colonel of the U.S. Army so I appreciate the dedication of Armed Forces & their efforts 2 protect & serve our country”


Sonjat Morgan
opted to retweet other’s 911 messages


Countess LuAnn
You are not forgotten.


Caroline Manzo
“Please take a moment to remember those who perished on 9/11/01 along with those who have made the ultimate..”


Simon van Kempen
“9 yrs ago 2day, I stood at 5th Ave & 31st St looking sth down 5th at 2 tall buildings in flames.Changed all our lives 4ever.”


Kelly Bensimon
“In recognition of 9/11 Please use this as an excuse to support our Armed Forces Friends at www.bff.tv”


Dina Manzo
“God Bless America…”


Ramona Singer
“was alone with Avery in NYC on 9/11, Mario was in Italy and couldn’t get home it was the scariest day of my life! where were all of you?”


Andy Cohen
“On the Saddest Anniversary, Remembering Life and Loss.. Praying for NYC and USA and grateful for every day.”


Alex McCord
“If you have young kids, pick up “The Man Who Walked between the Towers” by Mordicai Gerstein for bedtime tonight.”


Kim Zolciak
RIP to those who lost their lives senselessly on this dark day in history..we honor your memory #9/11

Never forget, can't believe its been 9 years.

Teresa Giudice Explains Why She Pushed Andy Cohen, Explains "Nephew" Comment

Andy Cohen Speaks On Tonight's New Jersey Housewives Reunion With "The Hollywood Reporter"

THR.com:

THR: In July 2009, THR reported that salary negotiations for the cast of "RHNY" prompted Bravo to recast certain housewives. Are these scenarios unavoidable?

Cohen: Look, ["Flipping Out" star] Jeff Lewis will e-mail me every week and say, "Oh, the ratings were great last night; I guess this means I get a raise." There have been situations when housewives have wanted to have frank talks about salary, and I say, "If you really want to have this conversation, let's have it." I have the benefit of knowing the research, knowing the ratings and knowing how much it costs to make every show. I give them my perspective.

THR: In the finale of MTV's "The Hills," producers suggested to viewers that the show was scripted. What response do you have for critics who say the same about "Housewives"?

Cohen: Whenever anyone wonders about whether these shows are real, I tell them, "If you were to tell me that Jeana [Keough] from 'Real Housewives of Orange County' was going to split from her husband while we were shooting, I wouldn't have believed you. You never know what road the show is going down.

THR: The most recent addition to the franchise, "Real Housewives of D.C.," premiered Aug. 5 with an extra tinge of scandal by adding White House party crasher Michaele Salahi to the cast -- who also recently accused "The View" co-host Whoopi Goldberg of assault. To what degree do you get involved with these incidents?

Cohen: We don't editorialize. If someone says on the show, "I'm the best mother in the world" and then the next scene you see her smoking a cigarette and blowing smoke in her daughter's face, that says it. We let viewers decide. What we're really involved in are the stories. We let them deal with their own stuff.

THR: During the reunion specials and on your talk show, it seems you aren't afraid to voice your own opinion of things.

Cohen: Any opinion I have usually reflects viewer opinion. During the "Real Housewives of New York" reunion, I was hammering Jill with questions because I knew fans weren't going to be happy until she responded. Surprisingly, it was [onscreen frenemy] Bethenny that came to her defense and said, "Why don't you just nail her to a stake and burn her?"

THR: Speaking of the reunion shows, it's almost a guarantee that one of your wives will storm off the set. Do producers have to coax them back on?

Cohen: Typically, they come back on their own accord. We had a situation with Danielle that viewers will see [tonight] where I had to talk her off the ledge, bring her back and negotiate with the other women.

The Woman With Two Faces, Kim G., Joins Andy Cohen