'Beverly Hills Housewives" 'grueling' reunion

The Associated Press, Friday, January 28, 2011, 5:20pm (PST)

PARK CITY, Utah (AP) -- For fans who tuned in to see drama and catfights during Part 1 of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" reunion special on Bravo Thursday night, one of its cast members says the final product was edited down from a long, grueling day of, well — even more drama and catfights.

On a visit Friday to the Sundance Film Festival, Adrienne Maloof recalls it took 15 hours to shoot the Beverly Hills reunion, which has been broken into two one-hour parts.

"It was physically grueling, mentally draining. When you pack a whole season into 15 hours you have to relive everything," she admits.

The women have had a lot of rehashing to do, with the season focusing on feuds between sisters Kim and Kyle Richards and between Kyle Richards and Camille Grammer. Recent episodes also featured the unraveling of Camille's marriage to actor Kelsey Grammer.

For her part, Maloof managed to stay out of the frey throughout the season and was only a bystander to the arguments that broke out.

"They're all very lovely girls, but there are those moments where it gets very dramatic," she said. "I would like to say each of our personalities really does come out organically and I think that's what makes the show such a hit."

A second season for the show has yet to be announced, but Maloof says she's game for more. "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" is the sixth and newest version in the "Housewives" franchise and one of the most highly rated. Its Jan. 20 finale episode drew a combined 4.2 million viewers for its back-to-back original and encore episodes.

"Certainly I think the lifestyle has something to do with (the success), but I also think the cast of characters, so to speak, are so unique and different, that's what makes it a great show.

After negative press and scathing blog posts, Camille Grammer told Andy Cohen on Thursday's reunion show she wasn't sure if she would return for a second season of the series.

Maloof, who was at Sundance to look for potential projects for her family's film production company, hopes Grammer decides to return, if only to fix her image. "I think it would behoove her to come back and set the record straight." Part 2 of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" reunion airs Thursday, Feb. 3.

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