# Atlanta housewives Porsha Williams, Phaedra Parks, on 'RHOA' return

### TV
Bravo TV

**Porsha Williams, Phaedra Parks talk 'RHOA' Season 16, creating 'good TV' again**



"Real Housewives of Atlanta" fans will be getting a sweet blend of the past and present this season.

Season 16 of the hit Bravo "Housewives" franchise (premiering Sunday at 8 p.m. EDT/PDT on Bravo, streaming the next day on Peacock) will feature OGs Porsha Williams, Cynthia Bailey and, returning after six seasons, Phaedra Parks, along with returning cast member Drew Sidora and a slew of new ladies getting their peaches for the first time – Shamea Morton Mwangi, Brit Eady, Kelli Ferrell and Angela Oakley.

For Parks, this cast is a return to the fun and occasional "shadiness" fans love.

"We're trying to basically get back to what made Atlanta the flashiest of the franchise. Just good, old-fashioned, fun sisterhood," says the attorney, who is returning later this season. "Drama, but also, laughs and crying. I think that's what became missing in those past two seasons."

Parks said she decided to return because of Williams. The fan-favorite Frick and Frack duo is reuniting this season after years of ups and downs. "I love her," says Parks.

"And additionally, once I found out that Cynthia would be returning – we came into the show together as newbies," Parks says. "I love Cynthia, and our children have grown up together. So that was a definite plus."

Bailey is back as an official "friend of the Housewives" while focusing on her acting career, though she is still "very involved." She says: "I ended up shooting a lot more than I even thought I would even be shooting, to be honest."

The show "ultimately has to be able to keep bringing a couple of new people in every season," she says. "Otherwise, you end up with a cast where we're just still having the same conversations and the same arguments."

"We always have a splash of drama, but it won't be dark, and so we're trying to lighten it up and just enjoy each other," says Parks. "Right now, I think we're in a moment where people come to television to escape. And so we'll be offering an escape from everyone's normal life with a lot of fun, a lot of fabulousness, a lot of fashion (and) a lot of very powerful stories because everyone's got a different story."

## When does 'RHOA' come back? How to watch 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' Season 16

"The Real Housewives of Atlanta" Season 16 premieres Sunday, March 9, at 8 p.m. EDT/PDT on Bravo. New episodes will be available to stream the next day on Peacock.

Contributing: Naledi Ushe and Jay Stahl
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