"Set against the shores of the Ocean State, 'The Real Housewives' franchise expands into the world of a tight-knit circle of Rhode Islanders who have deep community roots and families that go back generations.

Bravo - the only NBCUniversal cable network the company isn't spinning off into Versant because of its unique success - has ordered a number of new shows, a few of which will look familar to longtime Bravoholics.

The reality TV series hopes to show that in a small state like Rhode Island, "there’s no escaping your past ... or each other."