‘Vanderpump Villa’: Lisa Vanderpump’s Latest Sham Takes Nobodies to France
Over the years, I’ve come to consider myself an arbiter of what is and is not real in reality television. But truthfully, to watch any modern reality show, you’ve got to put your big, cartoonish dunce hat on for a bit. The level of producer interference that goes on just behind the cameras while franchises like Real Housewives and Vanderpump Rules are filming can up the tension, sure, but it also manufactures it. Producers know how to best create a memorable moment, and they encourage the talent they’re overseeing to give a scheduled shoot day their all. There’s money, ratings, and livelihoods at stake, which means that the drama must be served on a silver platter.
In Vanderpump Villa, a sort-of-but-not-really spin-off of Vanderpump Rules that begins airing April 1 on Hulu, that silver platter gets an upgrade to platinum. Lisa Vanderpump is doing a “trial run” of a new venture in her line of luxury hospitality businesses, this time at a remote French estate called Château Rosabelle, where guests are treated to the finest bespoke experiences during their stay. It’s clear that this “trial run” Lisa keeps talking about refers more to Vanderpump Villa than this hospitality enterprise itself—the chateau in question is a rented mansion where anyone can book an event. It’s almost too easy to spot the puppeteer strings while watching this show, but that’s what makes it so enjoyable.
There is a degree of carelessness and forgery to Vanderpump Villa’s construction, one that nobody is trying to gussy up as authenticity. It’s nice to see a seasoned reality vet like Vanderpump drop the facade while still setting out to make an engaging show. At times, this plays almost like a televised experiment: Where is the line with reality TV believability, and how far can it be moved before viewers check out? Turns out: Pretty far! Vanderpump Villa is, by no means, the surefire organic hit that Vanderpump Rules turned out to be. But the show has legs, and a well-casted, ego-forward staff to boot. Block out some extra filming dates at the Château St. Joseph—er, Château Rosabelle!—because there’s a decent new entry into the Vanderpump Televised Universe on the horizon.