Gretchen Rossi

The Real Housewives of Orange County is a reality television program on the Bravo network. It is the first installation in the The Real Housewives of... series. Created by Orange County producer and Coto de Caza resident Scott Dunlop, the show was initially set primarily in the gated community of Coto and followed the lavish livestyles of five "housewives" and their families who resided within Coto McMansions, with the exception of one housewife, who lived in comparatively reduced financial circumstances in a Ladera Ranch, California townhouse. This housewife exception to the rule was used in season 1 to directly contrast with the money-laden existence of the other four housewives who lived behind the Coto gates. However, the show has since expanded its filming locations to include Rancho Santa Margarita, Ladera Ranch, San Juan Capistrano, San Clemente, Costa Mesa, and Newport Coast, and downplayed the exclusivity of living behind the gates of Coto. For example, the opening credits removed the commentary saying, "There's a mystique of living behind the gates."