In late April, chatter about a new DC-based reality show, The District, began circulating around social media, quickly picking up steam in chronically online group chats. The premise? In a city known for politics, the series promises to ignore Capitol Hill entirely, instead focusing on the messy hookups, drama, and social climbing of influencers and self-proclaimed “industry insiders.”
Whether that vision makes it to television remains a question. According to the show’s creator, Brandt Ricca, The District is currently in negotiations for a development deal. Eventually, the hope is that a production company would shop it to networks.
Between my first contact with cast members at 12:23 PM on Monday, May 4, and the publication of this story, the cast lineup has already changed three times. Still, a few names remain at the center of it all: Jimmy Murrill, who first gained a following on Vine; Mecole Hayes, a former Big Brother 25 contestant; Nneka Ihim of The Real Housewives of Potomac; and Ricca, who is the show’s creator.
Ricca, the owner of an events and marketing agency, moved to DC 15 years ago. He’s been developing The District for a year and a half and describes the show as a look into a group of millennial “hustlers.” A sizzle reel made by Ricca and viewed by Washingtonian teases affairs, fights, business rivalries, a wedding, and even police bodycam footage of a cast member’s arrest. While Ricca hasn’t posted the trailer publicly, reality TV influencers and podcasters have seen the sneak peek, sparking conversation about the show.
Though this is his first time as a main cast member, Ricca is no stranger to reality TV. He previously appeared on The Real Housewives of Potomac and Love Hotel as a friend of reality star Ashley Darby and says he “fell” into the genre. With The District, Ricca’s hoping to highlight a different side of the city, one that exists outside Washington’s well-worn image as a town of politicos and power brokers.
“Politicians come and go, but it’s really our circle that runs the streets,” Ricca says, adding that the series “will lift up the brunch, white linen tablecloth to show the underbelly of DC.”
Murrill, the former Vine star and a Maryland-based creative director, is more blunt about his motivations. “I just want to get paid to walk around and be myself,” he says. “I don’t want to work—I don’t love it.” (Ricca has already labeled Murrill the show’s “confessional warrior.”) He adds that the cast’s dynamic already feels reminiscent of early Vanderpump Rules, and says he’s “born ready” for whatever drama unfolds.
That drama, it seems, is already underway. In the middle of our conversation, one cast member abruptly “dropped” out after seeing the trailer, prompting the creation of an entirely new group chat. There’s also already online criticism about the lack of diversity.
“We’re not saying we’re the representatives of what all DC looks like,” Ricca says. “We’re saying there are Washingtonians who are born and raised here, but it’s also a transient city.”
With the cast still evolving, Ricca adds there’s room for more personalities to join, including former Housewives—and, potentially, even figures adjacent to the political world, despite the show’s stated aim to steer clear of Capitol Hill. For Ricca, expanding the cast is also about broadening how certain groups are portrayed onscreen. “The gays need representation that isn’t the ratchet side friend at the bar with commentary,” he says. “Gays are go-getters and hustlers.”
Murrill also has a response to critiques of the show: “Everyone’s commenting they’re not going to watch it, and yet they don’t even realize they’ve already started.”
Both Murrill and Ricca seem clear on what the show is—and what it isn’t. A few of the references they throw out there: Vanderpump Rules, The Real Housewives of New York City, and Selling Sunset but not The Real Friends of WeHo, MTV’s short-lived 2023 reality series following a group of gay friends in West Hollywood.
Even without a network for his first show, Ricca is already thinking about a potential New Orleans spin-off, The Quarter, centered around The Traitors winner Trishelle Cannatella. But what happens if The District doesn’t come to fruition?
“There’s no other option,” he says. “This is being picked up. I don’t even care if we’re on Tubi—this show has got to be somewhere.”
*Correction: A previous version of this story stated the show is being shopped to networks. It has been corrected to reflect the show is not at that stage and is in negotiations for a development deal. The story also previously stated Ricca is the show’s main character. It has since been updated.
Tristan Espinoza joined Washingtonian as an Editorial Fellow in 2026. A proud Osage Native from Dallas, Texas, he is pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (Nonfiction) at American University. He is a graduate of Columbia University and the London School of Economics. He lives in Mount Pleasant.
