Summer House: Martha's Vineyard

Summer House: Martha's Vineyard is an American reality television series that premiered on Bravo on May 7, 2023. It is a spin-off of Summer House and follows a group of young Black professionals and entrepreneurs vacationing on Martha's Vineyard. On July 11, 2023, the series was renewed for a second season. The second season premiered on March 24, 2024. On May 28, 2024, it was reported that the series would be put on pause after two seasons.

Overview
Bravo described the series by saying it "follows a group of 12 friends as they enjoy their island getaway, indulging in cultural experiences and exclusive island activities while learning to overcome their personal obstacles". The setting of Martha's Vineyard is historically significant because the island has been known as a popular vacation destination for Black Americans for over one hundred years. As early as the eighteenth century, freed slaves began purchasing land there. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, middle-class and affluent Black families began purchasing summer homes in the area. The town of Oak Bluffs in particular became a noteworthy vacation spot due to the fact that it was the only town on the island that was accommodating to Black travelers in the early 1900s. The island remains a popular tourist destination to this day.

Season 1
The series premiered on May 7, 2023. Nick Arrington, Jasmine Ellis Cooper, Silas Cooper, Jordan Emanuel, Bria Fleming, Shanice Henderson, Amir Lancaster, Jason Lyke, Preston Mitchum, Summer Marie Thomas and Alex Tyree were the first season's main cast members. Mariah Torres entered the house at the beginning of the season but was asked to leave in the third episode after she pushed Fleming during an argument. Torres did not appear in any of the season's remaining five episodes. As a result, she was not recognized as a main cast member. On July 11, 2023, the series was renewed for a second season.

Season 2
In February 2024, it was announced that the second season of the series would premiere on March 24, 2024. Arrington, Ellis Cooper, Emanuel, Fleming, Henderson, Lancaster, Mitchum, Thomas and Tyree all returned alongside new cast member Noelle Hughley. Silas Cooper and Lyke did not return. Cooper, who is an officer in the U.S. Army, was deployed shortly before filming of the second season began, which prevented him from returning to the series.

Development
In 2021, Bravo approached Truly Original, the production company behind the series, about developing a reality show set on the island of Martha's Vineyard. Executive producer Lorraine Haughton-Lawson talked about the appeal of the location by saying: "When you go, you see all the history, and you meet all these amazing Black people whose families either lived on the island or summered on the island year after year, and you see the Black-owned businesses and how it really is this kind of idyllic enclave that a lot of people didn't know about." She also expressed her dedication to representing Black excellence in the shows she produces. An employee at Bravo eventually saw a photo of Silas Cooper and his friends vacationing on Martha's Vineyard on Instagram and contacted him to be part of the series.

Cooper and his wife Jasmine Ellis Cooper both have connections to the area. Cooper says he had been vacationing on Martha's Vineyard every summer for seven years prior to filming the first season of the show. It's also the first place the couple vacationed together after beginning their relationship. Ellis Cooper acknowledged the area's importance to her by saying, "in terms of Black history, it's so rich in multigenerational legacy." Cooper agreed about the area's rich history and culture but also said it's a great place to party and relax. He talked about his desires to buy a home on Martha's Vineyard and take his and Ellis Cooper's future children and grandchildren there as well.

Casting
After Cooper was scouted on Instagram, he and Ellis Cooper began suggesting friends of theirs to the show's production team. The cast members are all authentically connected. Jordan Emanuel, Bria Fleming, Shanice Henderson and Ellis Cooper are all former co-workers. Mariah Torres is one of Ellis Cooper's best friends from college. Ellis Cooper met Summer Marie Thomas at the Sundance Film Festival, as both women are screenwriters. Jason Lyke is Ellis Cooper's former roommate. She also knew Alex Tyree because the two met working as creatives in New York City. Preston Mitchum and Cooper are Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity brothers while Tyree and Nick Arrington are Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity brothers. Amir Lancaster is friends with Arrington.

Mitchum discussed joining the show to positively represent the LGBTQ community: "For me, one of the things I wanted to think about specifically as a Black gay man is what representation did I or did I not see happening generally on the shows I watch. I knew that hopefully I could be a role model for so many Black gay kids growing up." Lancaster, who is half Black and half Lebanese, wanted to explore Black culture and history that he was not exposed to growing up. Emanuel was excited for the audience to get to know her on a deeper level and felt the Black representation within the cast was unique, stating that while the show is dramatic and fun she appreciated that the cast is also intellectual and capable of having serious conversations.

Filming
Filming of the first season took place over the course of 15 days in late summer 2022. The house featured in the first season of the show is located at 96 Beach Road in the town of Edgartown. Ellis Cooper said the cast was unaware the show was going to be a Summer House spin-off while filming. Fleming stated that while filming was emotionally difficult for her at times, she was glad to be part of the show. She noted everything that transpired was real and authentic and that she enjoyed being able to express herself freely on camera.

The second season of the series began filming in late August 2023.

Critical reception
The show has received positive reviews from critics. Vulture Ile-Ife Okantah called the show intriguing and commented that it proudly represented the "many nuances of being young and Black". Additionally, she remarked that the series was wonderfully cast. Refinery29's Ineye Komonibo said each cast member brought something new and interesting and commended the show for showcasing the history of Oak Bluffs. Furthermore, she described the series as fresh and captivating. Taryn Finley of HuffPost praised the series for being less overproduced and more raw than most modern reality television shows, stating that added to its entertainment value and addictiveness. She also positively compared the show to The Real World and College Hill. Krystie Yandoli of Rolling Stone declared that the series "gives Bravo some much-needed diversity". Kyndall Cunningham of The Daily Beast wrote that the show had "a lot going for it" and praised the cast by calling them vibrant. She said the series is "a refreshing pivot from Bravo's recent attempts to integrate its white shows with people of color", referencing the racial controversies that have resulted from integrating some other shows on the network.