For more than a decade, the staff members at the West Hollywood restaurant SUR have defined a corner of the Bravo reality show universe in “Vanderpump Rules,” which has followed their cheating scandals, workplace drama and … did we say cheating scandals?
But, in the words of Lisa Vanderpump, the proprietor of SUR, “in the restaurant business, one shift always gives way to another.”
Vanderpump will be joined by an entirely new group of employees for the show’s 12th season, Bravo said on Tuesday, a final goodbye to fans who have followed as its original stars went from the birthday party dramas of their early 20s to marriages, children and divorces.
If this season is anything like the others, the new waiters and bartenders will be obligated to provide gossip and fight in the parking lot of SUR while they’re on the clock. Restaurant work is likely to be minimal.
“The last 12 years of filming have been an extraordinary run full of laughter, tears and everything in between,” Vanderpump said in a statement. “I can’t thank enough those who have shared their lives. How I love you all. Cheers to the next generation of ‘Vanderpump Rules.’”
The SURvers, as the restaurant’s staff members are known, all started as waiters and bartenders. Some later moved on to other parts of Vanderpump’s operations; many were fired (and rehired, and then fired again). A few moved on to other ventures, including attempts at restaurants and spinoff shows of their own.
The “Vanderpump” franchise dates back to 2010, when Vanderpump made her Bravo debut as an original cast member of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” a role she held until 2019.
She got her own spinoff, “Vanderpump Rules,” in 2013, with a cast of characters that have lingered for much of the show’s run, including Jax Taylor, Stassi Schroeder, Kristen Doute, Tom Schwartz, Lala Kent, Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval. One of the many cheating scandals involving members of that group made Sandoval, who had an affair with a fellow castmate, one of the most hated men in America last year. “Scandoval,” as it was nicknamed, was the shot heard around the reality television universe.
But the announcement by Bravo on Tuesday officially ushered in the next wave of reality television hopefuls. It was not immediately clear when filming would begin.
“What a thrill it is to build on the legacy of this series by doing it all over again,” Alex Baskin, the show’s executive producer, said in a statement. “With profound appreciation for the original group and their iconic run, we can’t wait for the audience to see a dynamic new group of co-workers and friends make their way through life together.”
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