Booted NYC Housewives Getting New Reality Shows?

May have referred to the firings of former NYC Housewives: Jill Zarin, Alex McCord, Kelly Bennsimon, and Cindy Barshop as the "Great Housewives Massacre," and it has purportedly lead to many housewives across the country being nervous about their status as housewives.  It has now been reported that some of the housewives that will not be returning for Season 5 of The Real Housewives of New York City will be returning to television in their own reality shows.

Former NYC Queen Bee, Jill Zarin, will be starring in a reality show on Fox titled "The Beverly Jillbillies" which is expected to portray Jill as a "fish out of water" after moving to Los Angeles.  Jill is reportedly currently looking for houses in LA.  Jill is certainly a born and bread New Yorker and there are differences between "New York society" and the upper echelon in LA (mainly the Hollywood crowd), but it's not like Jill is moving to Zimbabwe.  New York and Los Angeles are not that different. I don't know if this concept will be significant enough to spawn an entertaining reality show.  Yes, there will be the question of whether Jill will fit in Los Angeles and be accepted without all of her New York connections.  Of course Jill's BFF and fellow "bravolebrity" Patti Stanger (Millionaire Matchmaker) lives in LA, so I imagine the two will meet up and hang out.  But will Bravo let Patti appear on Jill's reality show?  I doubt it.  Bravo personalities sign strict contracts that provide that they not appear on networks that are not a part of the NBCUniversal family, the parent company that owns Bravo.  Fox is not a part of the NBCUniversal family and is a competitor, so I doubt we'll be seeing Patti anytime soon on Jill's show.  Time will tell how Jill's reality show will do, but I for one will not be turning in.  I used to be a fan of Jill but thought her true colors came through in Season 3 during her feud with Bethenny and showed her to be a phony.  (BTW, isn't it interesting that Season 3 of Bethenny Ever After was supposed to be about Bethenny & Jason's move to LA and now Jill is pursing a reality show about moving to LA?  First, the shapewear, now this.  What's next?  A low calorie cocktail?)  I continued to be disappointed with her during Season 4.  Jill refuses to acknowledge any of her faults or that she was wrong, she instead points the finger at anyone else (Alex, Ramona, etc...) and accuses them of being out of line when she herself is often out of line.  I truly believe that everything Jill does is for the cameras and publicity.  She is constantly trying to manipulate the situation to make herself come out in the best light and I am just not buying it anymore.

The next former NYC housewife who is set to get her own reality show is Kelly Bennsimon.  Kelly's reality show does not sound like the traditional type which will follow her around and capture her life, but instead a competition or self-help type show based upon her upcoming book I Can Make You Hot!: The Supermodel Diet.  More details about Kelly's reality show have not been released nor is it known whether it has been picked up by a network or is just being shopped around.  I have never been a fan of Kelly, so I definitely will not be tuning in for this reality show, but I do wish her well--and that some of the income from her book and show go towards some mental health treatment.

Finally, Alex McCord and her husband, Simon Van Kempen, have been shopping around their own reality show called Based in Brooklyn.  The show would focus on Alex and Simon and similar thirty-something parents in Brownstone Brooklyn as they raise their families.  While shopping the show, Alex and Simon have apparently been bashing The Real Housewives of New York City calling it a "train wreck" and "faux reality show."  The irony being that while biting the hand that used to feed them they are also trying to court said hand.  Alex and Simon purportedly are pitching their new show to Bravo.  It will be interesting to see if Based in Brooklyn is picked up by a network.  I make no secret that I could not stand Alex and Simon during Season 1, but they did grow on me and in later seasons I found them a lot less cringe-worthy.  Alex had a rough season in Season 4, but I think that was much more about her being ganged up on by the "brunettes" than her being out of line.  She would try to be rational and reasonable and talk out conflicts only to be treated like she was crazy and consistently attacked.  When she finally fought back, she was further criticized for being dramatic, starting fights, etc...  If Based in Brooklyn is picked up, I believed I will tune in, mainly because I am a fellow resident of Brownstone Brooklyn and in part because I think Alex didn't get a fair shake on The Real Housewives of New York City.  But if I see Alex and Simon reverting to their pompous, social climbing ways of Season 1 or if Alex gets into fake drama without being provoked, I may be tuning out.  Guess we'll have to wait and watch what happens...

Will you be checking out any of the former NYC Housewives new reality shows?