The Real Housewives of Orange County Premieres Tuesday, March 21  3/19/06

ACCORDING TO A BRAVO AND TV GUIDE MAGAZINE POLL "EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND'S" PATRICIA HEATON IS THE TV PERSONALITY WHO WOULD MAKE THE BEST REAL-LIFE HOUSEWIFE

"THE BRADY BUNCH'S" CAROL BRADY IS THE TV MOM THAT SHAPED MOST PEOPLE'S VISIONS OF A HOUSEWIFE; AND "THE KING OF QUEENS" LEAH REMINI IS THE HOTTEST HOUSEWIFE ON TV TODAY

BRAVO'S "THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF ORANGE COUNTY" PREMIERES TUESDAY, MARCH 21 AT 10:00 P.M. ET/PT

NEW YORK -- March 14, 2006 -- The protagonists of Bravo's new show "The Real Housewives of Orange County"-a deliciously soapy docu-series following five complex women and their families living in a wealthy Southern California community-may be "real," but will they prove to be better housewives than "Everybody Loves Raymond's" Patricia Heaton?

In a recent Bravo and TV Guide magazine poll, which examines TV housewives and how they have shaped our perceptions, an overwhelming majority of respondents (72%) named Patricia Heaton as the TV personality who would make the best real-life housewife. Trailing at a distant second (17%) is "Desperate Housewives'" Teri Hatcher, while talk show host Ellen Degeneres takes third place (7%).

When it comes to TV housewives of the past, nearly half (45%) of respondents named Carol Brady (Florence Henderson) of "The Brady Bunch" as the TV personality that most shaped their vision about what a housewife should be. "Leave it to Beaver's" June Cleaver (Barbara Billingsley) comes in second with 35% of the votes.

As for head-turners, one-third of respondents (31%) named "The King of Queens" straight-talking beauty Carrie Heffernan (Leah Remini) as TV's hottest housewife. Trailing closely behind are "Medium's" Allison Dubois (Patricia Arquette) with 28% and "My Name Is Earl's" Joy (Jaime Pressly) with 23% of the votes. Julie Cooper from "The OC" (Melinda Clarke) pulls in the remaining 19% of the votes as hottest housewife.

The Internet omnibus survey was conducted by TNS in conjunction with the premiere of "The Real Housewives of Orange County"-a seven-episode, one-hour series-on Bravo Tuesday, March 21 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. Selected results from the poll will be printed in the March 20 issue of TV Guide magazine (on newsstands Thursday, March 16), and full results featured on TVGuide.com and BravoTV.com on March 16.

"Viewers feel a close connection to the diverse versions of housewives and moms they have come to know through their television sets, and this month Bravo will introduce five real-life 'housewives' who will share their true day-to-day drama," said Andrew Cohen, Vice President, Programming and Production, Bravo. "Orange County 'housewives' Kimberly, Jeana, Vicki, Lauri and Jo will share compelling stories that viewers may find shocking, but they'll be surprised by how familiar and relatable their situations can be."

Following are highlights from the Bravo/TV Guide Poll results:

CAROL BRADY IS THE TV MOM THAT MOST DEFINES THE QUINTESSENTIAL HOUSEWIFE: The majority of people polled identify Carol Brady (45%) of "The Brady Bunch" as the quintessential television personality that most shaped their vision of what a housewife should be. "Leave It To Beaver's" June Cleaver comes in second with a strong showing of 35% of the votes.

THE VOTES ARE IN AND MOST AGREE THAT PATRICIA HEATON WOULD MAKE THE BEST REAL-LIFE HOUSEWIFE: Her gig as an Albertson's spokeswoman may have had some influence, with 72% of viewers and readers voting Patricia Heaton of "Everybody Loves Raymond" as the TV star who would make the best real housewife. Ms. Heaton rules the competition in this category, with Teri Hatcher of "Desperate Housewives" at 17% and talk show host Ellen Degeneres at 7%. Only 5% of people can see Misha Barton as a happy homemaker, but she still has a few years to change their minds.

VOTED THE HOTTEST TV HOUSEWIFE, STRAIGHT-TALKING BEAUTY LEAH REMINI'S CARRIE HEFFERNAN ON "THE KING OF QUEENS" WOULD TURN HEADS IN ANY NEIGHBORHOOD: A third of people polled (31%) voted "The King of Queens'" straight-talking beauty Carrie Heffernan, played by Leah Remini, as the hottest housewife on TV. Trailing closely behind are "Medium's" Allison Dubois portrayed by Patricia Arquette with 28% of the votes, and "My Name Is Earl's" Joy played by Jamie Pressley with 23% of the votes. "Milf" Julie Cooper from "The OC," played by Melinda Clarke, pulls in the remaining 19% of the votes as hottest housewife.

JILL TAYLOR OF "HOME IMPROVEMENT" IS EVERYBODY'S BEST FRIEND, BUT CARMELA SOPRANO MAY STAB YOU IN THE BACK: When asked to choose which housewife throughout TV history most resembles a person they could be friends with, Patricia Richardson's character Jill Taylor on "Home Improvement" wins the popularity contest with 67% of the votes. 22% of respondents could get into trouble with "I Love Lucy's" Lucy Ricardo portrayed by Lucille Ball. But it might not be so easy to make new friends for Nicolette Sheridan's Edie Britt (6%) of "Desperate Housewives" or Edie Falco's Carmela Soprano (6%) of "The Sopranos."

TOUGH TV MOM LOIS PLAYED BY JANE KAZMARECK IS TODAY'S VERSION OF A HOUSEWIFE: Overworked and underappreciated, tough mom Lois of "Malcolm In The Middle," portrayed by Jane Kaczmarek, is the TV personality most people agree resembles their version of a modern housewife. Felicity Huffman's smart character Lynette Scavo on "Desperate Housewives pulls in 31% of the votes.

HEATHCLIFF HUXTABLE BRINGS HOME THE BACON, WHILE TONY SOPRANO GETS LOCKED OUT OF THE HOUSE: Bill Cosby's Heathcliff Huxtable of "The Cosby Show" is the man of the house according to most people, with 45% of people voting him as the TV husband they'd want bringing home the bacon. Dr. Derek Shepherd, aka Dr. McDreamy of "Grey's Anatomy," could make house calls for 31% of pollers. Only 7% of people would want to greet "The Soprano's" Tony Soprano home each night.

KELLY RIPA VOTED PRESIDENT OF THE PTA AND BEATS BREE VAN DE KAMP IN A LANDSLIDE: "Live With Regis & Kelly's" Kelly Ripa is the woman most would back as president of their school's PTA according to 43% of people. "The View's" Elizabeth Hasslebeck (22%) and "The Insider's" Kathie Lee Gifford (20%) are neck and neck, while Marcia Cross' character Bree Van De Kamp on "Desperate Housewives" is backed by only 15% of people.

WILMA FLINTSTONE PUTS CAVEMEN IN THEIR PLACE AS THE FAVORITE CARTOON HOUSEWIFE: Wilmaaaaa! As wife to caveman Fred and mom to Pebbles, Ms. Flintstone takes the most votes as favorite animated housewife according to 42% of people. "The Simpson's" Marge Simpson (22%) and Jane Jetson of "The Jetson's" (21%) holding their own.

The Bravo/TV Guide survey was conducted by TNS on the Online Express Omnibus among 1,000 adults ages 18+ between February 23-26, 2006.

ABOUT THE SERIES: Bravo's "The Real Housewives of Orange County" will follow ! five sophisticated women and their families who lead glamorous lives in a picturesque Southern California gated community where the average home has a $1.6 million price tag and residents include CEOs and retired professional athletes. Orange County "housewives" Kimberly, Jeana, Vicki, Lauri and Jo are used to the good life and will do everything they can to hang on to it. The women each have their own personal story to share, and they've granted Bravo an all-access pass into their lives, families, friendships, careers, and homes. From diamond parties to Botox sessions to the stress of having a high-powered career, the women take viewers along for the ride and into their real-life dramas that show how life isn't always perfect behind the gates. Just what lies beneath the surface of this "perfect" community?

The women mostly live the good life, but also represent the modern-day version of the happy housewife, which today includes juggling the challenges of a stressful career with a busy family life. These women are sexy, sophisticated, and know how to turn heads, set trends, and keep up appearances in one of the most stylish communities in the country.

"The Real Housewives of Orange County" is produced by Kaufman Films and Dunlop Entertainment, and was created by series executive producer Scott Dunlop. Kevin Kaufman, Patrick Moses, and Dave Rupel are also executive producers.

Source: Bravo Press Release