Is the Real Housewives of Benning Road a Spin-Off? Clever Homage Explained

is real housewives of benning road a spinoff
Credit: Baller Alert Inc. YouTube channel

is real housewives of benning road a spinoff
Credit: Baller Alert Inc. YouTube channel

Is the Real Housewives of Benning Road a spin-off? Considering that the flagship series has over 20 spin-offs, when does the Real Housewives of Benning Road take place? Is it actually a part of the hit reality franchise? Read on to find out!

Is the Real Housewives of Benning Road a Spin-Off?

The Real Housewives franchise that kickstarted it all began in 2006 under Bravo. From Beverly Hills to Dallas, the Real Housewives had created drama to drama, from the lives of wealthy women in different cities and regions.

Of the 27 spin-offs, 11 were broadcast from the United States while 20 others came from international installments. But of these Real Housewives, where does Benning Road fit in?

is real housewives of benning road a spinoff
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Credit: Baller Alert Inc. YouTube channel

Unaware fans would be surprised but Real Housewives of Benning Road is NOT actually a part of the official franchise. If anything, it was actually created by clever fans as a parody while paying homage to the Bravo franchise.

How Long Did the Clever Homage Run For? Fans Cheer For the Parody

The web parody gained some traction of its own, as Real Housewives of Benning Road managed to emulate the essential elements every series and spin-off had: drama, tension, and housewives.

The Benning Road parody was created over a decade ago and ran for at least three seasons, all of which had been compiled on their YouTube channel, Baller Alert, Inc., their main 'streaming' platform.

"First of all, I thought the title would be hilarious: The Housewives of Benning Road," the comedy creator, Mike Brooks, previously told the Washington Post, "A lot of the urban neighborhoods in the city, the stereotype can be hoodrats and ghetto fabulous and all of that, so I thought the title would be creative."

The news outlet dubbed the series "local satire at its best" due to its overnight success, where they garnered thousands of views per weekly release.

Mike shared that the main inspiration to continue reeling in episodes was thanks to YouTube fans who kept watching their relatable parody, "I decided okay, I'll just give them what they want. I'll keep producing episodes and see what happens."

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