The Real Housewives of Atlanta - Season 1

First aired: 10/7/2008 9 episodes

In the heart of the New South, Atlanta is a landscape defined by Black excellence, high fashion, and the unbreakable—yet incredibly fragile—bonds of sisterhood. Sheree Whitfield attempts to assert her independence following a high-profile divorce, but an administrative oversight leaves NeNe Leakes off the guest list for her fashion line unveiling, sparking an immediate and icy feud. As NeNe navigates this social freeze, her enigmatic friendship with the lavishly living Kim Zolciak becomes the center of the circle, drawing quiet judgment from the other women. Meanwhile, Lisa Wu balances her entrepreneurial drive with marriage to a professional athlete, while philanthropic peacemaker DeShawn Snow desperately attempts to unite the fiercely competitive sisterhood through a massive charity gala.

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Episodes

1. Welcome One, Welcome ATL

Aired: 10/7/2008

In the premiere episode of Real Housewives of Atlanta, NBA wife DeShawn and her family see their custom built mansion for the first time and she begins the search for the perfect staff to run it. Real estate powerhouse Lisa is learning to balance business and motherhood with her NFL hubby's support. Meanwhile, after a three-year divorce battle with former NFL player Bob Whitfield, socialite Shereé plans a birthday blowout at her estate to celebrate her new life, and cracks the whip on her staff to make sure no detail is missed - from the Louis Vuitton cake to the exclusive guest list. All the Housewives are invited, including NeNe, who has ongoing tension with Shereé. In between shopping sprees funded by her mystery multi-millionaire boyfriend, "Big Papa," blonde bombshell Kim meets NeNe for lunch and they plan to arrive at Shereé's party fashionably late, but a scene erupts when one of them isn't on the list.

2. It's My Party!

Aired: 10/14/2008

The day after Shereé's big birthday blowout, NeNe, still angry about the party, has lunch with her friend and hairdresser, Dwight, who convinces her to take the high road and not waste any time or energy. Meanwhile, Kim is throwing her 11-year-old daughter Brielle an $18,000 birthday party. Kim's girlfriends join in the festivities and NeNe and Shereé put their differences aside for the day. Lisa isn't able to make the party as she gets laid up with the flu, but husband Ed helps nurse her back to health.

3. Who's Your Poppa?

Aired: 10/21/2008

The ladies take a trip to the countryside to meet with Kim's psychic advisor. After an eerie prediction of personal strife ahead, NeNe gets a letter from a family member revealing that the man who she thought was her father might not be. She must decide whether or not to pursue the paternity issue and risk opening Pandora's box. Meanwhile, Kim has always wanted to be a country singer and decides now is the perfect time to pursue her dream. DeShawn must pull off planning a black tie gala for the DeShawn Snow Foundation in just two weeks. NeNe decides to help her and together they try to raise a million dollars for charity during the gala.

4. Bring on the Bling

Aired: 10/28/2008

DeShawn is determined to make a big splash on the Atlanta social scene with her "Night of a Thousand Stars" gala event, and invites hundreds of people into her private estate for the lavish event. Kim and Shereé bond during a private spa day and enjoy an intimate dinner with their kids, which puts NeNe's friendship with Kim in jeopardy. Lisa's "Wu Girl" jewelry line is taking off and her trunk show is a hit. She inks a distribution deal with jewelry mogul, Steven Zale, and models her jewelry in a glamorous photo shoot for her new brand.

5. Out of Tune

Aired: 11/4/2008

Shereé and Lisa let loose at a pole dancing class. Lisa, DeShawn, NeNe and their husbands spend a luxurious evening together at a vineyard to celebrate DeShawn's 34th birthday. The dinner takes a turn for the worse after NeNe starts to gossip about Shereé and makes up a nasty song about Kim's music career. Kim and Shereé have a Botox date during which Kim finds out about the song NeNe sang about her, the two bond over mistrust for NeNe. When Kim ignores NeNe during an afternoon of lingerie shopping, the tensions mount and things get ugly. Kim's plans for stardom are at stake as Grammy Award-winning producer Dallas Austin sends her to celebrity music coach, Miss Jan. Meanwhile, inspired by DeShawn, NeNe starts her own foundation for battered women, Twisted Hearts. She throws a "Big Hats" fundraising brunch and opens up about her past turmoil to a moved audience. After futile efforts to get NeNe and Kim to talk, DeShawn joins NeNe for a girls' night where they focus on surrounding themselves with positive people and true friends.

6. Dream a Little Nightmare

Aired: 11/11/2008

Shereé and Kim make the best out of a boating trip on the "Redneck Riviera," Atlanta's Lake Lanier. Shereé assembles an army of publicists, designers, event planners to get her fashion line, She by Shereé, off the ground. She moves quickly to turn her vision into a reality and attempts to plan a high-end fashion viewing of her samples in a matter of weeks. With the support of her husband, Gregg, NeNe pursues DNA testing to answer the question about the paternity of her father. Lisa's husband Ed is gearing up to get back in the game after a year of rehabilitating an injury, though Lisa wishes he would not go back to the NFL. DeShawn invites all of the ladies to her home for a sunset barbeque to mend broken fences. NeNe agrees to be civil, but is upset when some of the women don't show. Sheree refuses to let her investors and the press see her sweat when the She by Sheree show starts to unravel at the seams.

7. Best of Enemies

Aired: 11/18/2008

After DeShawn's failed attempt at reconciliation, Lisa's on a mission to get the ladies into the same room. She meets Kim and Shereé for lunch. Humbled by her less than stellar fashion viewing, which went on despite not having any actual samples to put on the models, Sheree turns to successful Atlanta designer Michael Knight of Project Runway fame, to advise her on where she went wrong and what to do to get it back on track. Lisa is trying to put on a brave face for Ed, now that he's signed with the Oakland Raiders, but is worried that her "best friend" will be a continent away and back in the brutal world of NFL football. Meanwhile, DeShawn's husband Eric is at home with an injury, and after 13 years in the NBA, he's considering retirement, which could mean an end to DeShawn's extravagant lifestyle. The five ladies and their families get together for dinner, but can they put aside the injuries and start to heal old friendships?

8. Reunion

Aired: 11/25/2008

Bravo fans get an extra dose of drama when their favorite southern gals reunite for the The Real Housewives of Atlanta reunion special. Hosted by Bravo programming executive Andy Cohen, see what happens after the cameras stopped rolling. Do NeNe and Kim patch up their friendship? Will Sheree and NeNe ever be friends?

9. The Lost Footage

Aired: 7/23/2009

Never before seen footage of the housewives in action, including questions that didn't make the Reunion show.