Bravo’s Shahs of Sunset aired in March of 2012 and ran for nine seasons. The show was iconic, and the premise was pretty simple, with a focus on a group of friends who lived in Beverly Hills. The six Persian-American friends were shown balancing their work life and social life, all while trying to keep up with their family’s traditions. The series was a fascinating insight into the upper-middle-class Persian culture in LA. It was beyond refreshing to have a cast of genuinely authentic, albeit deeply flawed, people. It was a total bummer when the show went off the air in 2021, so I hope Bravo brings the series back for a reboot soon.
Shahs has an NBC connection
Shahs of Sunset was TV goodness, with the original cast—Reza Farahan, Golnesa Gharachedaghi, Mercedes Javid, and Mike Shouhed—knowing how to entertain. After the show was put on hiatus, the quartet kept close with their Bravo counterparts and NBCUniversal. Reza was asked to participate in Season 1 of The Traitors, and MJ was brought on for Season 2, making it down to the last three.
I can’t help but feel that NBC has left the door open for a possible return and wanted to see how the cast would be received when put back on TV. It turns out that fans still really want to see these guys in action. Shahs of Sunset still has loyal fans, which is always important. If Bravo rebooted the show, it would already have a built-in following, which never hurts when it comes to the ratings. The series could be soft launched on Peacock just like Bravo did with the Real Housewives of Miami.
Each season was explosive
No matter how you cut it, each season of Shahs of Sunset was explosive. Unlike the Real Housewives franchise, which is known to have off-seasons, Shahs was always a hit. Even their reunions were full of drama and couldn’t be missed. Each time the group of friends got back together, they hinted at far more complicated issues, instantly making me want to commit to another season. Honestly, the drama was addicting. There was backyard vandalization, leaked texts, and an abusive boyfriend. Perhaps the Season 4 reunion was the wildest as Reza impulsive shaved his infamous mustache just minutes before the taping. It gave me Britney Spears vibes!
Family is everything
On Shahs of Sunset, family was everything. But just like Family Karma, the theme didn’t seem to last with Bravo executives. Fans loved watching the ins and outs of their family dynamic. We all have a parent who is so loving it can be smothering, like MJ, and their journeys felt so relatable. It felt a bit harsh that Braov decided to take these types of shows away because, as far as I can tell, they did well for the network.
Viewers also enjoyed seeing the lavish lifestyle of this group of friends. I mean, gold was everywhere! The glam and richness of the series was something viewers had never seen before. It was nice not to see a dinner party fight every episode like on the Real Housewives. I dare say Bravo has become a bit boring, as they use the same formula. Shahs had natural production talents, and I miss that.
Rumors are afoot
Over the years, there have been plenty of rumors about a possible return for Shahs of Sunset. Not too long after Season 10 was announced as the final season, MJ dropped a few breadcrumbs hinting at a possible reboot to ET. In 2022, MJ was again spotted with Reza and GG in front of cameras. When questioned, she shared, “We were supporting a new endeavor. Obviously, I don’t want them to be, like, off with my head and not get in too much trouble.”
With that famously coy smile, MJ went on to share, “We were doing a new thing because we did that show for such a long time, and it’s just great that people still are interested and invested in our lives as we have evolved and changed so much.” But sadly as of now, nothing has come to fruition. But the cast has appeared at the latest BravoCon, which is a sign of hope. With still such a grand following, Bravo would be silly not to at least entertain the idea of a reboot. So let’s give the people what they want already, without Mike – please.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK SHAHS OF SUNSET SHOULD BE REBOOTED ON BRAVO?
