New Bravo Show 'Welcome to Crappie Lake' Highlights Benton, IL

One small Illinois town was hit hard by the pandemic, but two stars from Bravo's hit 'Real Housewives' series are coming to town and bringing it back to life in a new Bravo show called 'Luann and Sonja: Welcome to Crappie Lake'.

Small Illinois Town Stars in New Bravo TV Show

This morning while I was perusing Facebook, this post from Enjoy Illinois caught my eye and now I have to know more...

Where is Benton, Illinois? How many people live there? How were they lucky enough to get the celebrity treatment from two Bravo TV stars? These are just a few of the questions I needed to get answered, and so far I found answers for two out of three.

Where is Benton, Illinois?

Benton, Illinois is located in the southern part of the state in Franklin County, not too far from Rend Lake.

Google Maps

Benton, Illinois is home to just under 7,000 people and has several attractions to entice visitors like lake fun, campgrounds, antique shops, an auto museum, and more, but apparently, all of those things were hit hard by the COVID pandemic. That's where Countess Luann de Lesseps and Sonja Morgan of Bravo's 'Real Housewives' franchise step in.

Bravo's New 'Luann and Sonja: Welcome to Crappie Lake'

I wasn't able to find out how or why Benton, Illinois attracted Bravo to film a new TV series there, but I can tell you this new show looks quite entertaining! Here's the trailer for it...

According to a Today interview, Luann de Lesseps and Sonja Morgan were in Benton, Illinois for about a month and a half while filming this show, and the pair experienced a lot of 'firsts' during their time in the town.

'Luann & Sonja: Welcome to Crappie Lake' premiered on Bravo on July 9, 2023, and while it has received mixed reviews, the majority of them say the show is hilarious. 'Welcome to Crappie Lake' airs Sundays at 10 p.m. on Bravo, and episodes can be streamed the next day on Peacock.

Have you watched this show yet? I'd love it if you'd send me an app message letting me know what you think of it AND if I should be watching it too!