12 Reasons 'Southern Charm' Should Be Your New Reality TV Obsession

Charleston, South Carolina is one of the most gorgeous cities in the U.S. It's got ladies who lunch, a refined and sophisticated culture, and the men are just as well-dressed as the women. It might seem like the most unlikely place for a reality television series, and yet Bravo's Southern Charm, now in its third season, features a bunch of young guys and girls living in the old-fashioned city. This fun show might have slipped past your reality radar since it often gets overshadowed by staples of the genre like the Real Housewives and Big Brother. But it totally deserves tons of props for being such a solid addition. Here are 12 reasons Southern Charm should be your new reality TV obsession.

12 The Setting Is Beautiful

Want a side order of beautiful scenery with your reality drama? Of course you do, right? That's what makes this particular show such a great thing. You get to see how the other half who are southern, gorgeous, and super sophisticated live. It's basically all cobblestone streets, horse-drawn carriages, and old houses that have been restored in all their glory. Sometimes the background is so pretty that it distracts you from the fights that are going on, which can be funny.

11 It's Got Southern Manners Galore

If you're not observing the way that Southern women and men deal with each other, then you're not really living. In Charleston, life is all about manners. Seriously. Case in point: many of the adorable guys on the show might be players, but they're pretty respectful at the same time. It's pretty rare to find that elsewhere. It's fun to watch.

10 There Are Colorful Characters

Cast member Whitney is pretty awesome himself, since he's a musician/some kind of artist/is supposedly starting a restaurant or lounge with his business partners. But his mom, Patricia, takes the cake in terms of colorful characters on this reality TV gem. Patricia was married about a million times (okay, maybe more like five) and she loves to impart her wisdom while holding one of her tiny adorable puppies and sipping a martini. She even hired a butler based on whether or not he could make a good enough martini. Now that's dedication.

9 You Will Love Shep

Seriously, Shep is the most adorable, cutest guy you have ever seen, reality show or otherwise. He's in his mid-thirties and was basically born with a silver spoon in his mouth as people like to say. He has never really had to work and never met a girl he didn't like (or, um, want to go to bed with). But he never comes off as sexist or rude. In fact, he's super sweet, charming, and just seems like a really good guy. You will definitely want to be best friends with him.

8 The Drama Is On Point

A reality series is only as good as its most dramatic moments, and Southern Charm has drama in spades. People fight at parties and on the phone. They don't invite certain people to events, which of course sparks even more arguments, conflict, and tension. They gossip and talk about each other in almost every single scene.

7 The Parties Are Fabulous

You have to at least watch a recent episode that featured a party Patricia threw at her awesome Southern mansion. It wasn't any old party - it was a flamingo-themed party. Yes, really. She had pink plastic flamingos in her pool, pretty pink cocktails and decorations, and even had everything photographed for a party planning/advice book she's working on. This party was definitely a stellar sight. If you can't attend Patricia's parties, you can at least watch that on TV.

6 The Fashion Is Fun

At the party mentioned above, the women all wore completely amazing dresses and massive hats. Even in their every day life, the women of Charleston wear designer outfits and look super stylish. They would never dream of showing up for a quick lunch or casual beer without being totally decked out, and that just makes the show even more enjoyable for us mere mortals/viewers.

5 It's About Finding Yourself

Shep's old college pal Landon joined the show last season after getting divorced, which was a super brave move. She had always been a good southern girl who did what she was told, but after realizing that she had absolutely zero relationship with her husband because he ignored her and worked all the time, she sucked it up and moved to Charleston. Landon's story is all about finding yourself. First she lived on a house boat, and now she's got a cute little house of her own and is trying to start an online travel magazine.

4 The Real Estate Is Awesome

If you're into those house reno/real estate kind of reality series, then Southern Charm is definitely for you. Cameron got her real estate license in the first few episodes of the series, and now she's a super successful agent who deals with the drop-dead gorgeous mansions and houses in Charleston. So you can live vicariously and dream of living in these beautiful places and forget for a moment that you're sharing a small apartment with your dear roomies.

3 Two Words: Juicy Fights

Watching reality shows for the fights? They have to be epic - think the infamous table-flipping on The Real Housewives Of New Jersey - and you'll definitely find tons of epic fights on this show. Most of them involve Thomas and Kathryn, a May/December romance gone sour. They had a baby together and now Kathryn is pregnant for the second time, but they're no longer a couple and basically can't stand each other. The tension is through the roof and if they're not fighting at a party or event, people are fighting about them.

2 There's An Interesting Villan

Sorry Kathryn, we know you're a good person deep down in your heart, but you've been painted as Southern Charm's villan and you do a pretty awesome job. You're basically an award-winning actress at this point when it comes to stirring the pot. There's always one on every show (well, sometimes more than one) and it always makes for really good TV.

1 You See The Charleston Life

Maybe you live in an adorable city that feels like an old-fashioned small town, but you probably don't live in a place as truly adorable and charming as Charleston. If you can't visit it, then you can at least watch it on TV. The next best thing, right? But be warned. After even one episode, you'll probably want to book a trip… or even move there forever.