Yahoo News ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Bosses Tease Spinoff and Why They Brought Back Fired Stars
On the heels of Bravo announcing Vanderpump Rules spinoff series The Valley — starring former castmembers Jax Taylor, Brittany Cartwright and Kristen Doute — executive producers Lisa Vanderpump and Alex Baskin are teasing what to expect from the new show.
The Valley, which premieres this spring, will follow a group of close friends as they trade bottle service in West Hollywood for baby bottles in the suburbs, and focuses on five couples (who were real-life friends before the show) that include Taylor and Cartwright and Doute and boyfriend Luke Broderick.
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“Their story goes on and I think it was kind of a good idea to see the growth. It’s a very different show than Vanderpump Rules, but I think it was interesting to see them pretend to be grown-ups,” Vanderpump told The Hollywood Reporter at the Vanderpump Rules season 11 premiere event in L.A. on Wednesday. “I use the word ‘grown-ups’ very loosely — maybe when you have a child you’re supposed to be a grown-up.”
Baskin explained that the idea originated from a dinner he had with Taylor two years ago, as the two talked about the former reality TV bad boy now living in the suburbs and raising a son.
“This is Jax Taylor adulting, and it’s what that looks like with obviously Brittany and Kristen and then an entire new group of friends that we’re really excited to introduce,” Baskin continued. “It’s a lot of fun because I would say, just because they’re parents doesn’t make them necessarily any more mature or mean that they have it all figured out any more than this [Vanderpump Rules] group does.”
The show marks a return to Bravo for Taylor and Cartwright, who announced their exit from Vanderpump Rules in December 2020 after a tumultuous run; Doute was also fired from the series (alongside co-star Stassi Schroeder) in June 2020 after calling the police on former castmate Faith Stowers in 2018 to implicate her in a crime she did not commit.
Of deciding to bring the trio back to TV, Baskin said, “I think that they learned a lot, I think they appreciate what it means to be on television and have this opportunity when it’s taken away from them, so I think there’s that. We address the Kristen situation, as well, so it isn’t like we pretend that everything didn’t happen. That comes up and is part of what we cover on the show.”
Doute also made a brief appearance on Vanderpump Rules last season, and the trailer for the upcoming season 11 shows Taylor make a cameo.
As for why Schroeder is not joining the new series, Vanderpump noted, “I love Stassi and I thought she was great television but, you know, unfortunately there was no coming back for her. If it was up to me, I would’ve said — I’m always about giving everybody a second chance, always.” Baskin added, “I love Stassi, we’d love to be in business with her again. We didn’t fully talk about it, we kind of flirted around a little bit and who knows going forward. But she was in a different place and was about to give birth again; she’s doing really well on her own.”
When talking about the spinoff being in the works following the explosive ending to Vanderpump Rules‘ Scandoval-centered 10th season, Baskin had told THR, “Look, the past castmembers are still a part of the group. It isn’t like they went away. So, we’re really excited to develop out what that will mean. There are other opportunities to see the extended friend group beyond just Vanderpump Rules.”
Vanderpump Rules, meanwhile, returns Jan. 30 on Bravo.
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