Nikki Bedi and Lauren Zalaznick

'The Real Housewives...' is a reality TV series that follows groups of successful glamorous women as they go about their daily lives. The series began in Orange County in 2006 but quickly spread to other cities in the USA and even further afield, and radio and TV presenter Nikki Bedi absolutely loves them. She is drawn in by the drama of these women as they navigate work and relationships, friendships and family,

For this first programme Nikki speaks to Lauren Zalaznick, a former TV executive who helped devise and develop many of the early series.

Lauren and Nikki discuss how the women are chosen, what factors shape what we want to see on our screens, just how 'real' these Real Housewives are, and why some of the criticism aimed at the series is anti-woman.

Presenter: Nikki Bedi Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Toby Field