Will the cast shake-up for The Real Housewives of Atlanta season 15 help the series?

For 14 seasons, The Real Housewives of Atlanta has been as much of a staple on Bravo, as any of the other cities represented in the franchise. It is the franchise that has given us Nene Leakes, Phaedra Parks, Cynthia Bailey, and of course, Kandi Burruss (who was the longest-running housewife until she announced her departure ahead of season 15).

However, even with some amazing housewives, RHOA has been struggling as of late. And that means it was time for a cast shuffle. With Kandi stepping back from the series, it made perfect sense for Bravo to really shake things up and give us what is essentially a new cast (even if there are some returning players).

So who all will be a housewife or even a friend of the housewives as we head into season 15? According to Reality Tea, these are the ladies we will see on our screens when RHOA returns.

• Porsha Williams (I am excited to see what Porsha has to offer now that she is back and going through a divorce)
• Kenya Moore
• Drew Sidora
• Shamea Morton Mwangi (Fans will recognize the former friend as she finally gets her peach)
• Angela Oakley (a new addition)
• Brittany Eady (a new addition)
• Kelli Ferrell (a new addition)

Another returning face is Cynthia Bailey who will be returning not as a housewife, but rather as a friend of the housewives. This makes sense if Cynthia decided that she didn't want to commit to a full-time schedule with the ladies.

Will this new cast of housewives have what it takes to breathe life back into RHOA?

It never really hurts to add fresh blood to the housewives, especially if they have a story to tell. The biggest thing to watch out for is whether or not these new housewives are able to find a way to work together, even while bringing the drama.

Every single lady needs to have a storyline that we want to see play out. And if they don't then they just won't have what it takes to make us tune in every week. However, with the return of Porsha to RHOA, I expect that we will actually get plenty of entertainment in season 15. Not only is Porsha Williams extremely engaging, but she always has a storyline that brings us back for more. Whether you love her or just love to hate her, Porsha delivers when it comes to being a housewife.

It should also be interesting to see how Porsha and Kenya interact with each other this season. These two have had their moments, but at this point, they are very much the veterans of the series, even with the return of Drew. While Drew is no longer a newbie of RHOA, it will be some time before we can see her as a true veteran of the franchise. That being said, these three might be the core of the season, as they help to anchor the show.

Having new housewives on RHOA is exactly what the show needs, but we will have to wait to see how everything plays out now that there is so much "new blood." At the same time, we are excited to see how Cynthia adds to the mix now that she is in the role of a "friend."

What do you think of the RHOA shakeup for season 15? Are you excited for the new housewives? Do you think this will give the franchise new life?