Make no mistake about it, 'The Real Housewives of Atlanta' is Bravo network's highest rated series of the franchise for a reason: These Southern belles know how to bring the drama.

Although the highly anticipated third season won't officially kick off until early October, cast members have already been in the news for a variety of reasons. Lisa Wu-Hartwell will only appear in three episodes before making her exit and two new housewives -- entertainment attorney Phaedra Parks and former model Cynthia Bailey -- will join the cast.

And no season of the 'The Real Housewives of Atlanta' would be complete without a fight between Nene Leakes and Kim Zolciak.

There's lots in store this fall for the women of the Peach State.

Meanwhile, after four years on the air, Bravo is giving its most beloved reality show the star treatment and has just announced that this fall, the 'Real Housewives' franchise will become syndicated Monday through Friday.

According to a spokesperson for the network, the lively series, which includes 'The Real Housewives of Atlanta,' 'The Real Housewives of New York,' 'The Real Housewives of New Jersey,' The Real Housewives of DC' and 'The Real Housewives of Orange Country,' will appear on local NBC stations and Hearst Television stations nationwide.

So there's plenty of time to catch up.

Season 2 of 'The Real Housewives of Atlanta' averaged over 3 million total viewers – making it the highest rated season of the 'Housewives' franchise at the time.

The new season of 'The Real Housewives of Atlanta' will air on Oct. 4 at 9 p.m. EST.

But here's an early look at the ladies of 'The Real Housewives of Atlanta:'

Cynthia Bailey:
The self-proclaimed "supermodel" has graced the runways of Paris and Milan fashion weeks. In addition to a movie role opposite Sandra Bernhard and a guest stint on 'The Cosby Show,' the Alabama native has a 10-year-old daughter, Noelle.

On this season of 'Housewives,' after being engaged three times, Bailey grapples with finally tying the knot with her boyfriend of three years, Peter Thomas, founder and promoter of the notorious 1990s hip-hop festival "How Can I Be Down?"

She also finds a friend in Leakes, as the two women both deal with relationship issues with the men in their lives.
Phaedra Parks:
Since starting her own Atlanta-based boutique entertainment firm, The Parks Group, P.C., Parks has represented a who's who of entertainers and athletes, including the "King of R&B," Bobby Brown.

A friend of Dwight Eubanks and Kandi Burruss, she arrives on the 'Housewives' scene under scrutiny due in larger part to her younger husband, Apollo, who just finished a prison bid for a "white-collar crime." Of her husband's time behind bars, Parks says,"He's no different from Martha Stewart and people need to get over it."

And even though she's expecting her first child with Apollo, it's going to take a lot of time to please the other Housewives.


Kandi Burruss
On the new season of 'Housewives,' we find the former Xscape front woman coming into her own.

After the tragic murder of her fiancé, A.J., she' s still pursuing a music career and now spending a lot of time speaking to fans on UStream, where she's calling herself "The Dr. Ruth of the Internet."

She's bouncing back musically with a new record deal and working on her relationship with her father who has cancer.

This Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and mother of one is also not biting her tongue about her co-star Kim Zolciak's talent, or lack thereof, saying, "Kim has one single and she's acting like Lady Gaga." So there's no telling where their friendship will head this season.

Kim Zolciak
By now, the world knows that this bubbly 'Tardy for the Party' crooner has moved from dating Big Poppa to dating a woman.

In the trailer for the new season, she flat our states, "I slept with a woman. Call it gay. Keep it movin'." And though there's no telling whether that relationship has fizzled, she's performing her hit dance track around the country, opening up for Burruss' summer promo tour and still keeping her love-hate relationship with Leakes going, as the two women are seen almost coming to blows aboard a tour bus.


Nene Leakes
Talk about transition. This outspoken Housewife seems to be having the roughest year out of the bunch.

In addition to having a position with a local news channel in Atlanta, she's trying to hold her family together.

Her eldest son, Bryce, was arrested for drug possession and her husband, Gregg, who is no longer working, has gone behind her back to do some "business deals."

The author and blogosphere mainstay has no problem letting her hubby know, "I have never cheated on your ass. I have never done you wrong ever.'

Though they were spotted together at the 2010 Essence Music Festival last month, it's anyone's guess whether divorce is in her near future.



Sheree Whitfield
Since last season, when Whitfield divorced her footballer husband and downsized homes, she's discovered she wants to be an actress.

In addition to working with an acting coach and auditioning for roles in Atlanta, she starts dating a doctor, all while still juggling raising two kids.

No word of her fashion line, She by Sheree, which debuted last year at New York Fashion Week.