“Summer House” has spent nearly a decade capturing weekends in the Hamptons, but the series’ foundation began long before cameras rolled. As the show’s future draws attention following recent cast developments, new details are shedding light on how the Bravo hit first came together—and why its core has always centered on real friendships.
From its early casting process to the group dynamic that shaped season 1, both cast members and producers are opening up about what made “Summer House” work from the beginning.
‘Summer House’ Origin Story: How the Cast Came Together
When “Summer House” premiered in 2017, it followed a group of New York City friends sharing a summer house in the Hamptons. According to original cast member Kyle Cooke, the concept reflected what he had already been doing for years.
Cooke said he had been spending summers in the Hamptons since the early 2000s. By 2014, he had connected with future castmates Lindsay Hubbard, Lauren Wirkus, and Ashley Wirkus, forming the foundation of the original group.
In 2015, Cooke attended a casting call for a show he described as sounding like “Real World: Montauk,” but quickly realized the group did not reflect the real Hamptons social scene.
“I show up [to the casting call] expecting to know half the people there,” Cooke said. “They’ve got this casting all wrong.”
Cooke told producers they needed a group of real friends.
“Listen, you’re telling me you don’t even have a house rented, and you don’t have any of the right people here… Give me a call if you want to start doing advanced planning,” he said.
Producers later reached out with a new direction focused on authentic relationships.
“They were relying on me to help them navigate our social circles,” Cooke said. “From there, we roped in all our friends.”
That group eventually included Carl Radke and Everett Weston, with Cooke also advocating for Hubbard to join.
“I don’t know anything about reality television, but I know one thing, Lindsay is meant to be on TV,” Cooke said.
Hubbard said joining the show felt natural.
“The decision [to join the show] was easy,” she said. “It was like, well, we’re doing this anyway. We might as well get paid a little bit to do what we’re already doing.”
How the Cast Has Changed Over the Years
Producers say the authenticity of that original friend group helped the series stand out.
“What made this project exciting for Bravo was the organic friendship group in Season 1,” Bravo Vice President of Current Production Joshua Brown told Bravo Insider. “They just seemed to be naturally doing this anyway.”
Brown added that casting has always focused on real connections.
“We’re always just looking for interesting people with a story to tell,” he said. “We just have to cast interesting people who have organic connections to each other and see what happens.”
As the show expanded, new cast members joined through existing relationships. Amanda Batula became full-time in season 2 after initially appearing as Cooke’s girlfriend.
“I just thought it was the coolest thing to be on a network that I grew up watching,” Batula said.
Later additions, including Paige DeSorbo, also came through last-minute casting decisions.
“We found Paige at the last minute,” Brown said. “It was serendipitous, for sure.”
‘Summer House’ Behind-the-Scenes Details Fans Asked About
The show’s format, which follows housemates during weekend stays, has led to frequent fan questions about how production works.
One common question centers on who stocks the house. According to production, the cast handles it themselves.
“The answer is that the cast is 100% responsible for stocking the fridge and pantry,” a producer told Bravo Insider. “Food at the house works like a real share house.”
The setting itself also plays a major role in the series.
“Each house is kind of like our extra cast member, and it takes on a certain persona,” Brown explained. “They all reflect the different eras. I still have a really soft spot in my heart for the first season house, just because it was so Montauk-beachy.”
Not every house has been a favorite, though. Brown pointed to one layout that stood out for a different reason.
“That one was a little confusing to figure out the layout when you’re watching on TV,” he said, referring to the “upside-down house,” where the kitchen was located above the bedrooms.
Still, those quirks often add to the show’s appeal.
“I got to give a shout out to our production team and our post team who embrace the quirks,” Brown said.
He recalled one recurring issue that became part of the show’s identity.
“On the surface, that’s really annoying, right? But they realize that this is actually really funny,” he said, referring to a faulty front door that cast members struggled to open for years. “So they embrace it on the show, and viewers have kind of loved that.”
New episodes of “Summer House” air Tuesday nights on Bravo.
