At ‘Vanderpump Rules,’ the fried goat cheese balls are the same but the cast is different

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Could it be? Are we about to experience the best days of our lives (again)?

Earlier this month, on a rainy Wednesday afternoon, SUR restaurant in West Hollywood (known for its playful name, Sexy Unique Restaurant) was preparing for another busy night serving fried goat cheese balls and providing a popular spot for photos for fans of the Bravo TV network. However, some of the restaurant’s staff, already in their black and purple uniforms, were busy with another, equally important job.

A fresh cast of newcomers is taking over Bravo’s “Vanderpump Rules.” They’re currently doing interviews in a popular tourist location – the same spot where much of the show’s original drama unfolded. Now, they face the challenge of either revitalizing the series or becoming another failed attempt to reboot a reality TV show.

Venus Binkley sighed and said, ‘I’m working as a bartender tonight from 6:30 to 11. Honestly, I really don’t want to be working at all – I’d rather be doing anything else. But if you’re here,’ he added with a smile, ‘you’re here to shine.’

Premiering in 2013 as a companion to “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” “Vanderpump Rules” offered a look into the dramatic and often ridiculous lives of the young servers at SUR restaurant, all hoping to achieve more than just working at the lavish lounge. Similar to its predecessor, the show turned its cast – including Ariana Madix, Katie Maloney, Scheana Shay, LaLa Kent, James Kennedy, Raquel Leviss, Tom Schwartz, Tom Sandoval, Stassi Schroeder, Kristen Doute, and Jax Taylor – into recognizable faces for viewers of Bravo.

The show is getting a fresh start with a new cast after a difficult eleventh season. This reset follows a major cheating scandal – quickly nicknamed “Scandoval” – involving cast members Madix, Sandoval, and Leviss, which became national news. The scandal changed the show, moving it away from its original appeal of relatable cast members and lighthearted drama. By the end of the season, the relationships between the cast members were too damaged to make for enjoyable television.

“We hit a stride with ‘Vanderpump Rules’ — it was nominated for three Emmys,” says the show’s namesake, Lisa Vanderpump, formerly of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” and co-owner of SUR. “The show was rocking. But where would we go with it? It was fractured. So many people didn’t want to film with each other, their stories got quite heavy. Loss of business, marriages or infidelity. It wasn’t the same feeling anymore.”

Television

The cast of the popular Bravo show discussed the drama of ‘#Scandoval,’ a tense reunion, and if Tom and Raquel have truly split up.

Looking back at them, they were so young – barely in their twenties. It’s easy to see now how carefree and a little reckless they were, still figuring things out. They were at that age where they should have known better, but that’s part of what made them so interesting, you know?

The original cast members were generally between 30 and 45 years old. The new cast, however, is much younger – mostly in their 20s. They’re energetic, a little rebellious, and still gaining experience. A lot of them are hoping to become famous, and many of them grew up watching the original show.

Among the new SUR employees hoping to make a name for themselves is Binkley, a server who’s worked there for three years and is known for both their long hair and bold confidence. They believe it’s finally their time to shine. Also competing for attention are Demy Selem, the most experienced server at SUR with eight years under their belt and now an assistant manager; Marcus Johnson, a server who also works as a DJ; Kim Suarez, Marcus’ girlfriend and fellow server who wonders if his friendships with others are just friendly; and Natalie Maguire, SUR’s lead bartender, who quickly finds herself involved in drama.

Johnson has been living in Los Angeles since 2015, balancing modeling work with jobs at restaurants like the Cheesecake Factory. She started working at SUR because a friend recommended it. She never imagined she’d end up on a reality show, and believes it’s best to just be herself. She explains that trying to create a false impression wouldn’t be genuine or effective.

Maguire has been working towards a career in singing and acting her entire life, and she’s currently in Los Angeles to make that happen. She views her current job as a way to support herself while she pursues her dreams, like many others hoping to achieve success in their chosen field.

This week, while having lunch near the restaurant featured on the show – with a clear view of its famous alley – executive producer Alex Baskin spoke with The Times about the show’s future, finding new cast members, and why they’re continuing to film at SUR. This conversation has been shortened and clarified for easier reading.

At what point did you realize the original version of “Vanderpump Rules” wasn’t sustainable?

We were simultaneously brainstorming what a new season of “Vanderpump Rules” could look like and assessing the current situation at SUR. We knew that if the original cast returned, it would likely be for one final season. We explored several options, and I particularly liked the idea of a shorter season focusing on individual cast members with updates provided between scenes, offering a fitting conclusion to their storylines. However, we ultimately decided that wasn’t necessary and opted for a special instead. Around the same time, we discovered a promising new group of people working at SUR, which led us to consider passing the torch to a new cast. The show’s continued popularity and strong viewership numbers pushed us to explore another season, but everyone involved agreed that it wouldn’t be right to do a season that didn’t feel complete. We felt it was best to end things on a high note.

Television

Alex Baskin, who leads production on Bravo’s “Vanderpump Rules,” is reflecting on the drama of Season 10 – including the “Scandoval” – and giving fans a preview of what’s coming in Season 11, which starts Tuesday.

To that point, was there thought of just ending it altogether? Why did it make sense to do a reset?

We were really pleased with the actors we chose, and that gave us confidence. While the original property had some built-in appeal, we knew it would only get people to initially try the show. Our goal was to convince even the biggest fans – those worried about how we’d handle something they already loved. We believed we had a strong foundation for a great show, and the positive response to our initial cast made us even more confident in investing in it and building something new. We weren’t trying to recreate the original; we wanted to create something different.

What was it like delivering the news to the cast? Who fought to try to keep it going?

I tried to signal to everyone that a return to the show wasn’t guaranteed, and the long delay probably reinforced that. While a few people were really disappointed – especially Tom Sandoval – it seemed he was hoping for another season. The situation was different for those moving to “The Valley,” as Ariana had already moved on and was understanding throughout all the discussions. Everyone experienced it a little differently, but overall, most people believed the show had run its course.

Bringing new people onto “Vanderpump Rules” hasn’t always gone smoothly. What did you learn from those experiences about introducing new cast members?

It’s easier to integrate into a group that’s already formed than for everyone to start something new together. We connected with a group of people who are all at a similar stage in their lives, were open to us joining, and included both those with and without TV experience. At its core, this project is a return to our original values, much like the early days of SUR.

When “Vanderpump Rules” first came out, the original cast felt so LA – they were just trying to make ends meet working at a restaurant, but they all had big dreams of becoming actors, singers, or models. A lot of them took jobs at SUR hoping it would be their foot in the door. Now, with the new cast, it feels different. It makes you wonder, how does that change what the show is really about?

For a long time, the people working there haven’t received much recognition, but it still offers more exposure than other local restaurants. Plus, today’s generation often sees fame as a goal in itself, rather than a byproduct of achievement. Fame is now something people actively pursue. I’ve noticed different kinds of online personalities, and some aren’t suited for television because they prefer to control their own image. This group is different – they’re open to the experience, and that’s why this show is successful.

How did you decide on the cast?

We spent some time getting to know the team, and Lisa, along with her business partners Nathalie and Guillermo, shared their perspectives. We opened up the opportunity for anyone working there to interview, and that’s where the real magic happened. When you’re building a show with a pre-existing group, you start to understand all the connections between people, and the story naturally unfolds – that’s how “Vanderpump Rules” began. We actually created a diagram with lines connecting the cast to visually map out their relationships, because they were so complex. We did the same thing with this new show. It’s not just about finding individuals with the right qualities; it’s about how they’re all connected to each other.

Natalie is quick-witted and brings a lot of energy to TV – she’s resilient and not afraid to speak her mind. Marcus is very confident, and Venus has a uniquely memorable personality. These individuals naturally draw strong reactions from people simply by being themselves; their reactions feel authentic and aren’t forced.

Chris Hahn and Jason Cohen are both familiar with reality TV, having previously been on Netflix shows like “Dated and Related” and “The Perfect Match.” What’s the reason for bringing them on?

We were coordinating staffing with the restaurant at the same time they were casting the show. They’d send us anyone they interviewed, and we’d share potential candidates with them as well. Everyone had to be willing to work at the restaurant as a condition of being on the show. We’re upfront about having some cast members with prior TV experience, and that’s fine – but ultimately, they are employees of SUR and they maintain those positions.

As a viewer, I’ve always wondered how shows recapture that initial spark. The fun of early reality TV came from seeing ‘real’ people being themselves – it felt fresh and exciting. But now? How do you rediscover that genuine connection with the cast, that raw authenticity that made the original “Vanderpump Rules” so captivating? It’s a tough balancing act, and one many shows struggle with.

After being on these shows for a while, anyone who tries to completely control how they’re perceived eventually realizes it’s impossible. It can be really challenging. We do our best during casting and conversations to make sure everyone understands what they’re getting into, and that we understand who we’re working with – someone who isn’t just using the show for self-promotion. These days, if you’re featuring people in their 20s, they’re almost certainly active on social media, often very skillfully, even if it’s just personally. That’s a change from previous generations. Having a social media presence isn’t necessarily a problem, but it really depends on their attitude and whether they’re willing to be open and genuine.

When a TV show is rebooted, viewers often immediately start comparing the new actors to the original cast. Did you consider using character archetypes when you were choosing the new actors?

As a huge fan of the original, one thing that was really important to us was avoiding simple character copies. We purposely didn’t even think about archetypes when we were casting. We wanted people to fall in love with these new characters organically, just like they did with the first show. Now, we’re asking viewers to do that all over again! The best way to get them invested, we figured, wasn’t to ask them to forget what they loved before, but to simply entertain them and pay respect to the original cast and story. We even considered bringing some of the original group back for cameos, but ultimately decided against it – we didn’t want to create a ‘new class’ situation. Though, we did get a quick appearance from Schwartz because he just happened to be at TomTom when we were filming!

We’ve watched other Bravo shows, like “The Real Housewives of New York City,” try to revamp themselves without much success. Did that past experience lead to discussions about whether or not to move forward with this new plan?

We always knew this would be a difficult task. We understand how much people loved the original, so we felt it was important to share all our plans at once. It’s tough knowing we might disappoint some of our most dedicated fans, but we hope they’ll eventually love what we’ve created.

This reboot feels different from other reality shows I’ve worked on. “The Real Housewives of New York” had its own unique problems, but this one is presenting a new set of hurdles. We’re focusing the show around the restaurant and the lives of its staff.

Measuring the success of this relaunch isn’t simple. Traditional TV ratings don’t give a complete picture, and streaming numbers don’t always reflect what we’re trying to achieve.

Okay, so as a total TV fan, I’m really getting annoyed by everyone immediately posting the overnight ratings for shows and then comparing them to last season. Honestly, those initial numbers are always down these days, especially with streaming. What I really want to see is how a show performs over time – are the numbers holding steady, or even growing as the season goes on? We’ll get a peek at what Peacock’s getting, but that overall trend – whether it builds an audience – that’s the real measure of success, in my opinion.

Honestly, what really drives us is proving the doubters wrong. I don’t expect anyone to be thrilled meeting a bunch of anonymous people, but we’re hoping to change minds over time. Seeing the reaction at BravoCon to the first half of our premiere was a huge boost – people seemed genuinely into it! And let’s be real, it’s important that people are actually talking about the show online, you know? That buzz is everything.

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2025-12-02 14:03