Vanderpump Rules is returning for its 12th season on Tuesday, December 2 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo. While this reality show has been on air for over a decade, the upcoming season comes with new changes, including a new group of cast members. The reboot brings into question whether or not cast reboots for reality shows are a good idea.
What to expect in season 12
Vanderpump Rules (VPR) started off as a spin-off of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (RHOBH). Lisa Vanderpump, who was a cast member on RHOBH, owns several restaurants in West Hollywood, California. VPR follows the staff members of Vanderpump’s restaurant called SUR. This show also highlights the drama and dynamics between the restaurant co-workers inside and outside the workplace.
VPR‘s upcoming season includes a different cast than the most recent season, which finished airing in May 2024. The new season’s cast consists of Venus Binkley, Jason Cohen, Shayne Davis, Chris Hahn, Angelica Jensen, Marcus Johnson, Audrey Lingle, Natalie Maguire, Demy Selem, and Kim Suarez.
Per usual, not much is known about new seasons besides what is teased in the first look trailer. VPR‘s season 12 trailer teases the new cast and some drama to expect during the season. In addition, a Bravo press release teased “the deep-rooted, dynamic group of friends, frenemies, and lovers that have been working for Lisa Vanderpump at SUR for years are shaking things up.” Season 12 will also show how “the next generation of close-knit SUR-vers will make their mark.”
How is season 12 different from the most recent season?
Season 12 of Vanderpump Rules will feature an entirely different cast than the previous 11 seasons of the show. In late November 2024, Bravo announced that its reality show would be returning for season 12. However, the show would return with a new group of staff members who work at Lisa Vanderpump’s restaurant. This meant that none of the cast members from season 11 would return for season 12.
The past 11 seasons were made up of a consistent cast that went through minimal changes throughout the show’s airing. Unlike most reality TV shows that tend to shake up casts to keep drama and storylines fresh, Vanderpump Rules kept most of the cast the same for 11 seasons. Specifically, the entire cast from the first season returned for eight seasons with new cast members added in between. Even with new cast members joining in between seasons, the cast usually went through little to no changes. This was because the previous cast members were able to keep storylines fresh and bring new drama each season.
VPR‘s newest season will not consist of any former cast members from the past 11 seasons. The notable exception is Lisa Vanderpump. Vanderpump will still be on the new season of the show since she runs the restaurant and is involved in the cast members’ lives. Vanderpump is also an executive producer of VPR.
Why did Vanderpump Rules reboot the cast for season 12?
Vanderpump Rules rebooted the season 12 cast for several reasons, but why? One main reason was that for the past three seasons, most of the cast no longer worked at Vanderpump’s restaurant. Showing the cast members working at SUR was a main part of the show’s early seasons. Since most of the cast no longer worked at SUR, it made sense to follow the lives and dynamics of co-workers who currently work for Vanderpump.
In addition, the way season 11 ended seemed like there was very little resolution within the group. Reality shows based on friend groups and their drama rely on drama along with conflict resolution. Since the season 11 reunion ended with most cast members not moving past their drama with each other, it would be difficult to film another season with that cast.
While cast members from previous seasons of VPR will no longer be on the show, many cast members still appear on Bravo. Bravo’s reality show The Valley features several former VPR cast members to show their lives outside of working at Vanderpump’s restaurant. Former VPR stars Kristen Doute and Brittany Cartwright both appear on The Valley with a new group of cast members to show their lives and drama. Lala Kent and Tom Schwartz from VPR are also confirmed to appear on the newest season of The Valley that will premiere in 2026.
Should reality TV shows fully reboot casts?
Reality TV cast reboots usually depend on the show and cast. There are times when reality TV cast reboots are essential to move forward. Other situations for reality show casting can be resolved with a cast shakeup instead of an entire reboot. Reality TV reboots can be controversial since recasting an entire show may take away from what fans liked about a certain cast. Recasting a show can also change an existing fan base since fans of a show likely enjoyed the original ensemble cast from the show. While reboots can be controversial, they are sometimes necessary to move forward with a reality show.
For Vanderpump Rules season 12, it made sense to bring in an entirely new cast. This is because most of the cast members in recent seasons did not work at SUR. Since most of the cast did not work at Vanderpump’s restaurant, the dynamics of the cast interacting at work were no longer shown. Instead, the show began to rely on the cast dynamics outside of working for Vanderpump. Recasting the show’s 12th season while showing former VPR cast members on The Valley allows for both shows to continue on.
Reboots can also be controversial for reality TV shows. For example, The Real Housewives of New York City (RHONY) went through a full cast reboot for its 14th season. The show’s 13th season cast did not return for its 14th season due to low ratings and no reunion. RHONY‘s rebooted cast for the 14th and 15th seasons came with backlash due to a lack of history with the cast and storylines.
The decision to reboot an entire cast for a reality show can be difficult. Rebooting a reality show can lead to making the show go back to its original roots. However, changing a reality show cast can also lead to backlash and losing a fan base. Reality TV show reboots can go either way depending on the reasons and situations for rebooting a show.
Will the VPR reboot work?
Personally, I think that the Vanderpump Rules reboot will work for the show. After watching last season, it seemed that season 12 would be perfect to introduce a new cast. This is because season 11 ended in a way that felt final with the cast. Specifically, it seemed that there would be no change in dynamics if the cast returned for a new season. Rebooting the show with a new cast and new drama gives the show a fresh start.
Since most of the new cast work at SUR, it will be interesting to see the co-worker dynamics and bringing the show back to its original roots. With Bravo rebooting VPR and featuring former cast members on The Valley, viewers can still watch some of the former cast on TV while seeing the original show get a refresh. The Vanderpump Rules reboot could definitely be positive for the show.
Vanderpump Season 12 will be released December 2nd, 2025.
