Miami Social
| Miami Social | |
|---|---|
 Katrina, Ariel, Maria, and George (top row, from left); Hardy, Sorah, and Michael (bottom row, from left) | |
| Genre | Reality |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 7 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | John Ehrhard Kimberly Cowin |
| Production locations | South Beach Miami, Florida |
| Running time | 42 minutes |
| Production company | Pink Sneakers Productions |
| Original release | |
| Network | Bravo |
| Release | July 14 – August 18, 2009 |
| Related | |
| The Real Housewives of Miami | |
Miami Social is an American reality television series on Bravo that debuted on July 14, 2009.[1] The series chronicles the lives of seven friends as they lived, worked, and socialized in South Beach, Miami. They all met weekly for cocktails at the Gansevoort Hotel to catch up with each other's busy lives.
Cast
Sorah Daiha
Sorah is a business woman who carefully balances work and play. She is a realtor and property manager and also works in the home remodeling industry. Having "been there and done that" with the South Beach party scene, Sorah enjoys chilling at the beach or chic hotel pools, and hitting up the hottest South Beach restaurants for nights out with the girls. Divorced from ladies man George, she still maintains a somewhat complex friendship with him despite their close living quarters – which complicates things with her current boyfriend, Gonzalo, who also lives in the same building.[2]
Michael Cohen
Michael is one of Miami's "in the know," tapped into the media world as a freelance editor covering local entertainment and A-listcelebrities for magazines such as In Touch Weekly. He also commentates for local and national TV shows such as CNN’s Showbiz Tonight. At the time of the series, he is working hard at launching his own website, an e-commerce site that will cover all that is fashionable. His job allows him the freedom to explore the hottest Miami locales, including lunch meetings at the chicest hotel pools and cocktails on the hottest rooftop lounges. A lover of the outdoors, he enjoys life with his three-year-old poodle, Austin, all while looking for love in the sometimes complicated and dramatic world of South Beach.[3] His episode reviews have appeared on The Huffington Post since Miami Social's premiere.[4]
Maria Lankina
Maria is a no-nonsense Russian bombshell who has taken Miami by storm. After moving to the city in 2005, it took her no time to make a mark on the scene, and only is seen at the chicest spots in South Beach. She currently works as an art director and freelance photographer after studying at the prestigious Miami Ad School, and has had the opportunity to travel the world for her job. She describes herself as "forward, rebellious and fiery," but is a passionate and devoted mom to 13-year-old Angelika.
Katrina Campins
Katrina epitomizes the saying "work hard, play hard." A no-nonsense approach to business made her a powerhouse at a young age, and she is one of Miami's hottest real estate agents, ranking in the top 1/2 percent of realtors nationwide. She founded and owns her own real estate brokerage firm, The Campins Company, which caters to an elite clientele, including celebrities and athletes. She was also one of the stars of the first season of season 1 of The Apprentice. Born and raised in Miami, this Cuban-American bombshell knows the ins and outs of the city and is tapped into the nightlife and a staple on the social scene.</ref> Never one to sit still, Katrina finds herself struggling with the rising success of her company versus the romantic lows of her marriage.[5][6]
Hardy Hill
Hardy is the man to know in Miami. He is the President and CEO of Hill Hospitality Group, and is the host of the hottest weekly parties at the chicest clubs, restaurants and hotels in South Beach. His job keeps him at the forefront of the wild Miami nightlife, where work and play are sometimes blurred. Described as "opinionated and strong-willed," he strives to balance his career and the pressures of the nightlife with the thought of settling down with the right woman.[2] Hardy also appeared as a contestant on season 2 of the American version of Big Brother.
George French
George is the quintessential "man about town" in South Beach. He is a high-powered mortgage banker and also owns his own investment and consulting firm, and says making money is one of his primary hobbies. George is divorced from fellow castmate Sorah. They still live in the same apartment building and have remained close friends, despite his fiery and tumultuous relationship with current girlfriend Lina. By day, George's focus is on his career, but by night, he's regularly seen around South Beach and is a regular at the hottest clubs in town. Never one to shy away from drama, George stands at a crossroads in his life, trying to balance his party animal ways with settling down and making things work with Lina.
Ariel Stein
Ariel is one of the key players in the Miami nightlife scene, a regular at the hottest parties and clubs in town and always on the VIP list. Never one to sit still, he works as one of Miami’s premiere fashion producers and also serves as Vice President of one of the family business, 20/20 Vision Management, Inc. Ariel counts his social life as his other occupation, and is personal friends with some the top fashion designers and celebrities. There is never a dull moment with Ariel, who considers the posh area of South Beach his personal playground. Tapped into the fashion, entertainment and celebrity world of Miami, Ariel continues to make his mark as part of the fast-paced "It Crowd."[7]
Episodes
| No. | Title | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Liar, Liar" | July 14, 2009 | |
|
George's girlfriend, Lina, goes off on a business trip but lies to George about the location and reason for the trip; George turns to his ex-wife Sorah for advice and solace. Katrina and her husband Ben decide to separate, news that shocks the group. Meanwhile, Ariel works on an important fashion event. | |||
| 2 | "Single in Sobe" | July 21, 2009 | |
|
Maria is in tears as she says goodbye to 13-year-old Angelika, who is heading to boarding school in Switzerland. After six years of dating, Hardy's girlfriend Trixia gets impatient at Hardy's reluctance to propose. Katrina attempts to maintain her friendship with her husband and business partner Ben after they separate. Michael plans a large birthday party and vacillates over whether to invite Ariel. George and Lina's relationship continues to show signs of stress, culminating with George showing up to Michael's party with another woman. | |||
| 3 | "The Better Lover" | July 28, 2009 | |
|
George asks an uncomfortable Sorah about the intimate details of her relationship with Gonzalo over a one-on-one dinner. Katrina juggles the competing desires of two clients as she attempts to sell several muti-million dollar homes. Ariel checks on a desk he is having custom built, and Hardy and Katrina later try to have an intervention with Ariel about his arrogant personality. Michael later offends Lina while teasing her about the girl George brought to his party in place of her. George proceeds to gets drunk at an open house that Katrina threw, while Lina was at home giving herself a pregnancy test. | |||
| 4 | "False Positives" | August 4, 2009 | |
|
Lina announces to George that she is pregnant, but George soon gets word from a friend that her story is contrived. Ariel tries unsuccessfully to bring Maria in as photographer on his latest project. Michael and Maria are excited at the prospects of 20/20 vision as they undertake Lasik eye surgery. Katrina tells her (separated) husband Ben that she’s moving to a new home on the beach, but he appears nonplussed. | |||
| 5 | "All About Me" | August 11, 2009 | |
|
Michael and Maria take Katrina out on the town for the first time since her separation, but Katrina is reluctant to live the single life. Sorah tells George that he will have to move out of his apartment (which is in her name) after talking things over with her boyfriend, Gonzalo. Michael dates Diego, a friend of Gonzalo and Sorah, but has second thoughts after looking up Diego's Facebook account. Hardy and Trixia throw a charity event, and Ariel hosts a fashion show for his new clothing line; both events are sparsely attended by the hosts' friends. | |||
| 6 | "It's Over" | August 18, 2009 | |
|
Each of the cast members does something to better themselves in this episode. Perhaps the least profound is Ariel, who stands up for the auditioning models while doing a casting session for a Los Angeles-based designer. Michael takes the anticipated step of getting hair plugs. As Katrina finalizes her divorce papers, Maria, three years out from her own divorce, goes on her first date in a long time. And while Hardy and Trixia celebrate their sixth anniversary, George finally breaks up with Lina after a visit from his mother. After the break-up, George tries to turn to Sorah for support, only to find that she has pulled away from their friendship for the sake of her relationship with Gonzalo. | |||
| 7 | "Reunion" | August 25, 2009 | |
Ratings
Miami Social has been met with few viewers, low ratings, and negative press.[8][9] The network thus attempted to create a second season where the show would be recompiled into another series called Miami Social Club,[10] but eventually by February 2011 the network decided instead to go with a different concept and instead structured the Miami Social Club idea into another extension of their The Real Housewives franchise. The filmed footage premiered as The Real Housewives of Miami on February 22, 2011.[11]
References
- ^ "Bravo's "Miami Social" Premieres Tuesday, July 14 at 10 PM ET/PT". thefutoncritic. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
- ^ a b McNamara, Mary (July 14, 2009). "'Miami Social' on Bravo". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Cohen, Michael (June 22, 2009). "From Bravotee to Bravoite: How I Went From Fan of Bravo to Cast of Miami Social". The Huffington Post.
- ^ "Michael Cohen". The Huffington Post.
- ^ "About Us". The Campins Company. Archived from the original on July 4, 2008. Retrieved August 19, 2009.
- ^ "The Campins Company: Company Overview". PR.com. Retrieved August 19, 2009.
- ^ Cohen, Michael (August 12, 2009). "Miami Social: Smoke and Two Way Mirrors". The Huffington Post. Retrieved August 19, 2009.
- ^ Abravanel, Lesley (July 18, 2009). "Miami reality: 'Social' or anti-'Social'?". The Miami Herald.
- ^ Garvin, Glenn (July 14, 2009). "Just when you thought we'd hit rock bottom". The Miami Herald.
- ^ "Ratings up for 'Miami Social,' thanks to 'Flipping Out'". The Miami Herald. August 25, 2009.
- ^ de Moraes, Lisa (February 4, 2011). "Bravo unveils 'Real Housewives of Miami,' shelves 'New York City' till spring". The Washington Post.