The twelfth season of Vanderpump Rules premiered on Bravo earlier this month.
And if you weren’t aware the show still existed — well, you’re not alone.
Yes, either Bravo’s marketing department really dropped the ball, or interest in the all-new Vanderpump cast is much, much lower than expected.
Whatever the case, the rebooted series premiered to shockingly low ratings.
And after just three episodes, there’s already talk that the show will not be renewed for Season 13.
‘Vanderpump’ premiere received lowest ratings in franchise history
According to a new report from Star magazine, the show’s December 2 season premiere drew in just 290,000 viewers, making it the least-watched episode in Vanderpump history.
The situation got even worse the following week, when Vanderpump Season 12 Episode 2 dropped to fewer than a quarter million viewers.
The numbers for the third episode, which aired on Tuesday night, aren’t in yet — but barring a Christmas miracle, they’re probably not gonna be anything to raise your glass about.
At this point, the show is such an unmitigated disaster that it might not be permitted to finish out the season, even though the whole thing has already been filmed.
“The numbers for premiere week ratings are still coming in,” an insider told Star, adding, “And it’s still early, but based on early numbers, the lack of audience reaction, engagement, and overall interest, it’s likely at this point that the reboot will not come back.”
A second source offered an unconvincing rebuttal, noting that executive producer (and sole returning cast member) Lisa Vanderpump has been “very generous with her time promoting this show.”
(Frankly, that sounds like a Bravo insider’s way of paying a compliment to Lisa as a means of side-stepping the ratings issue.)
A third source says that the show has even bigger problems than its ratings, as Bravo execs believe that it’s simply not up to the network’s usual standards of quality.
“Bravo execs are struggling with the reboot. First of all, they don’t find the show to be as good, that’s the biggest issue,” that informant tells the US Sun.
For her part, Lisa has already been quick to dismiss the concerns about the show’s cancellation.
“Screw the naysayers!” Lisa told Page Six this week at her Vanderpump Dog Foundation Gala in Beverly Hills.
“I’m very excited about the new cast. Hopefully this time next year they’ll be a pain in my ass, because that’s when you know the show’s a success!”
Needless to say, unlikely that the show will still exist this time next year. But its namesake restaurateur appears unconcerned.
Of course, Lisa is independently wealthy and has already starred in and/or produced multiple successful reality shows (to say nothing of the many restaurants she’s opened).
The young cast of the rebooted Vanderpump Rules might not be so quick to shrug this situation off.
‘Vanderpump Rules’ Reboot Scores Record Low Ratings: Headed For Cancelation … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.