The greenlight
Six months after Whitney Leavitt announced her exit from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, Hulu has ordered an untitled reality series built around her. She will star and executive produce through Leavitt Media House, alongside Jeff Jenkins Productions and 3BMG.
The logline positions the show around family, fame and career ambition:
“firebrand Whitney Leavitt and her family as they navigate her newfound fame and career ambitions while always putting family first.”
Leavitt had appeared in season five of the mothership, but will not be part of the next episode order. She announced her departure in May during her final performance as Roxie Hart in Broadway’s Chicago.
An unscripted flywheel
Hulu is expanding the franchise at the same time. The original series has been renewed for another 20 episodes, and The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County premieres November 12. That spinoff includes Jen Affleck, McCall DaPron, Bobbi Althoff and Aspyn Ovard.
Leavitt brings a wider public profile. She finished sixth on Dancing with the Stars season 34 with Mark Ballas, made her feature debut in the holiday rom-com All for Love, and returns to Broadway in Just in Time next month. Her film credit also ran through Leavitt Media House, which makes the production company part of the pitch.
For media planners, this is a pipeline story. Unscripted formats are faster and less expensive to renew than scripted series, and they keep ad-supported hours fresh. Hulu is converting a breakout cast member into a producer-supplier—an on-screen asset that can generate new episodes and extensions rather than simply appear in them.
- The order: untitled Hulu series; Leavitt stars and executive produces.
- The universe: original renewed for 20 more episodes; Orange County premieres Nov 12.
- The brand: Leavitt Media House is a producer on her film and the new show.
What to watch
Solo spinoffs carry retention risk. An ensemble audience does not automatically follow one cast member at the same scale, and the report gives no premiere date. The test is whether Leavitt’s Mormon Wives audience, Dancing with the Stars viewers and film fans combine into a durable solo audience.
For buyers, the format creates earlier sponsorship conversations: unscripted shows often allow brand integrations while episodes are still being shaped. The larger question is whether Hulu can repeat this model without diluting the original. If it can, the streamer gets a low-cost franchise engine with built-in talent loyalty.
Source: Deadline
