This Isn't Just Another 'Real Housewives'

Get ready for some good-old-fashioned Bravo drama to cross the pond. Summer will kick off right when Bravo premieres Ladies of London on Monday, June 2. The series will follow seven women, all trying to juggle their families, friends, and fabulous lifestyles, while climbing their way up the social ladder in one of the greatest cities in the world. But wait, how is this show not a Real Housewives series?

We're ready for all of the lying, backstabbing, and side-eyeing we know we'll get from every Bravo reality show. The added bonus of this one is that it's all going to come in a better accent. But wait a tick. Something about all of this seems so... familiar. A group of women living in one city brought together by the reality TV gods to bicker and backstab all for the entertainment of millions of people at home. Is there a typo in the title? Has Bravo just forgotten to put "The Real Housewives" in front of "London"?

Not quite. While it seems like it should be the first International incarnation of Bravo's successful franchise, Ladies of London is its own standalone series about a "group of women who connect socially through business, family, and friendship," Bravo's senior vice president of "Production-Current" Kathleen French told The Daily Beast. Okay, that description seems to only underscore the similarities between the two series. But if you look closely, you will see that Ladies of London has its own special flair that makes it deserving of this unique title.

This Ain't Your Average Housewives Locale

The obvious difference is that Ladies of London doesn't take place in the U.S. like all of The Real Housewives locales. While all of the home cities of many a Bravo reality show are like a character in and of themselves, Ladies of London's European locale will play an especially large role in setting the series' dynamic.

There Will Be Blood(y Arguments)

The overarching theme of the show is the culture clash between the British socialites and the American expats in London and how each tries to make a name for herself in English society. Just the fact that Ladies of London has this idea at its core distinguishes it from The Real Housewives, where there really isn't a theme so much as encouragement to just bring the dramz. In this way, Ladies of London is much more akin to Bravo's other reality shows about groups of women with ambition, such as Gallery Girls, Blood, Sweat & Heels, and Eat, Drink, Love.

These Women Are a Wee Bit Younger

The Ladies of London also just don't seem to be at the same point in their lives as many of The Real Housewives. Even though they don't really live up to their namesake in the sense that the majority of The Real Housewives do have jobs, most of them are also married or divorced and have children. While many of the Ladies of London are balancing family life and their careers as well, they're overall a younger bunch who are just starting marital and/or family life. Some of the Ladies are getting close, but there's no menopausal rage like we've seen some of The Real Housewives express.

We already know Ladies of London will live up to the drama The Real Housewives has graciously bestowed upon Bravo. A new city, new cast of ladies, and a whole new concept may make us say, "The Real Housewives, who?"

Image: Laurence Cendrowicz/Bravo