Their run on the “Real Housewives of New York City” may be over, but Luann de Lesseps and Sonja Morgan are hitting the road in search of new adventures.
The reality stars are getting their own spin-off series titled “Luann and Sonja: Welcome to Crappie Lake,” which debuts July 9 on Bravo.
Get all the details below:
Who are Luann de Lesseps and Sonja Morgan?
Luann de Lesseps is an original cast member of “The Real Housewives of New York City” and appeared in 13 seasons of the show. She is known as “The Countess” due to her former marriage to French aristocrat Alexandre de Lesseps and her propensity to correct people’s manners.
Morgan joined “The Real Housewives of New York City” in Season 3. She was married to John Adams Morgan, the great-grandson of J.P. Morgan.
Both women are accustomed to luxurious living.
Why are they no longer on “The Real Housewives of New York City?”
After a disastrous Season 13, which was filmed during the pandemic, Bravo decided not to hold a reunion and eventually canceled the show. None of the cast, including de Lesseps and Morgan, were asked to return. Instead, a whole new group of women will be featured in the upcoming Season 14.
The so-called “legacy” cast, which also included the likes of Ramona Singer and Dorinda Medley, remain popular with fans. It was recently announced they would be filming Season 5 of “The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip” together for Peacock.
What is “Luann and Sonja: Welcome to Crappie Lake”?
“Welcome to Crappie Lake” is a spin-off series which takes the socialites out of Manhattan to Benton, Ill. From what we can tell, Crappie Lake isn’t an actual town, but the designation given to any body of water that you can fish for crappie (part of the sunfish family).
Of course, “crappie” and “crappy” are homophones, so there’s a double meaning there.
Their big city sensibilities come into conflict in the rural community, but they make the best of the experience. The show is a bit reminiscent of “The Simple Life” and “Schitt’s Creek,” right down to staying at a budge motel.
The logline for the series reads:
The Benton City Council surprises the town residents by inviting “Real Housewives” icons Luann de Lesseps and Sonja Morgan to help spruce up their small town (population just shy of 7,000) that was devastated by the pandemic. It’s a fish-out-of-water experience for everyone involved, especially when the two Manhattanites check in to the local motel. The mayor wastes no time putting them to work and Luann and Sonja quickly realize they have their work cut out for them. From building a new playground to revitalizing the local theater with a full-on variety show and creating connections with the locals along the way, Luann and Sonja use their ingenuity to help improve the surroundings and rally the town’s spirits. Whether searching for the famous crappie fish in the lake with their bare hands or going mudding with monster trucks, one thing is for certain – with Luann and Sonja in charge and out of their element, hijinks and hilarity are sure to follow.
When does “Luann and Sonja: Welcome to Crappie Lake” air?
“Luann and Sonja: Welcome to Crappie Lake” debuts with back-to-back half-hour episodes on Sunday, July 9 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Episodes will be available to stream next day on Peacock.
The series moves to its regular timeslot beginning Sunday, July 16 at 10 p.m. ET/PT immediately following the season premiere of “The Real Housewives of New York City.”
Why is Paula Abdul in “Crappie Lake”?
We’re not quite sure why the pop star/former “American Idol” judge is in the show, but it looks like she’s part of a celebrity charity.
Abdul made a similar random appearance in “Bling Empire” on Netflix.
Both shows are produced by Jeff Jenkins. Executive producers on “Crappie Lake” are Jenkins, Russell Jay-Staglik, Ailee O’Neill, Brandon Beck, Ross Weintraub and Reinout Oerlemans.
What are people saying about “Crappie Lake”?
Andy Cohen, executive producer of “The Real Housewives of New York,” praised the spin-off on his Sirius XM show last week.
“Guys, I’m not overselling this show, and I have nothing to do with it. I didn’t produce it. It wasn’t my idea. I watched it as a fan, just like you,” Cohen said. It’s so funny.”