‘Vanderpump Rules’ Season 12 Premieres Tonight: Full Reboot, New SUR Cast, Start Time, and What Changes

Bassyonni

ago 28 minutes

Vanderpump Rules

Vanderpump Rules returns tonight with a full-cast reset that aims to take the franchise back to its roots at SUR. The new-look Season 12 premieres Tuesday, December 2, 2025, at 9 p.m. ET/PT, with episodes streaming the next day for cord-cutters. Only Lisa Vanderpump remains from the longtime ensemble; the rest of the on-camera team is brand-new, drawn from current staff inside the West Hollywood restaurant.

When and how to watch ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Season 12

TV premiere: Tuesday nights at 9 p.m. ET/PT (weekly).
Streaming: Episodes drop the following day for on-demand viewing.
Time zones: UK viewers can expect availability the next morning (Wednesday GMT), depending on platform rollout.

This cadence mirrors past seasons—linear first, then next-day streaming—with the expectation that the opening weeks will set tone and pecking order before holiday break scheduling kicks in.

What’s changed in Season 12 (and why)

After a lengthy off-season and high-profile cast departures, the series is repositioning around SUR employees who actually work the floor—servers, bartenders, and support staff who mix hospitality shifts with Hollywood ambitions. The guiding idea is simple: rebuild the show’s day-one formula of workplace proximity + messy friendships + West Hollywood nightlife.

Key differences fans will notice:

A complete cast refresh: New names in every opening credit except for Lisa, who again functions as mentor, boss, and occasional fire extinguisher.
Back to the restaurant: More scenes in and around SUR—side stations, alley check-ins, and post-shift hangs—rather than far-flung personal ventures.
Early-season chaos by design: The premiere introduces overlapping flirtations, roommate tensions, and seniority squabbles that escalate quickly when the tip jar is involved.

Meet the new faces at SUR

Season 12 spotlights a core group of 10 across the bar and dining room, with a mix of veteran staffers and recent hires who arrived during the show’s hiatus. Expect a few familiar walk-throughs from behind-the-scenes stalwarts who bridge eras at the restaurant, but this is very much a new ensemble tasked with carrying confessionals, conflicts, and group trips.

Early standouts to watch:

The lead bartender with opinions: Quick with a read, quicker with a comeback, and the person most likely to throw a flag when lines get crossed at closing time.
A server hungry for the spotlight: Confidence dialed to eleven; sees the show as a launchpad and isn’t shy about saying so.
The lifer who knows SUR’s history: Works as connective tissue between the fresh faces and the institutional memory of the place.

Storylines the premiere sets in motion

Workplace triangles: Scheduling and section assignments double as social battlegrounds; the first episode seeds overlapping crushes and post-shift “hangs” that will not stay quiet.
Status games: Who’s earned premium tables, who’s skipping side work, and who’s getting management’s ear—old SUR politics in a new wrapper.
West Hollywood cross-currents: Newcomers navigate friendships with exes, scene regulars, and aspiring creatives who blur the line between cast and crowd.

The tone lands closer to the show’s earliest years: young, hungry, and slightly combustible, with the restaurant acting as a pressure cooker.

How the reboot ties into the wider universe

While several former regulars have shifted to other projects, the mothership is designed to stand alone. That said, the door is cracked for occasional cameos from familiar faces who remain tied to the venues. The broader universe—spin-offs, specials, and unrelated ventures—will hum in parallel, but Season 12’s success will hinge on how quickly viewers attach to the new SUR crew.

What to watch for in the first month

Who emerges as the narrator: Every great ensemble finds one or two confessional anchors; pay attention to the voices that frame episodes.
Restaurant reality vs. reality TV: The balance between genuine service work and on-camera antics will define authenticity debates online.
Group dynamics off shift: The first birthday dinner or theme party tends to be the spark for alliances and long-running feuds.

Quick FAQ: ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Season 12

Is any of the old cast back?
Only Lisa Vanderpump is a series regular. Others may appear in limited, situational cameos.

Is SUR still the primary setting?
Yes. The reboot centers daily restaurant life—bartop, host stand, alley, and after-hours spots—bringing the action back to home base.

Do I need to watch earlier seasons first?
It helps for context, but the premiere is built as an easy on-ramp with fresh introductions and clear relationship maps.

Tonight’s Vanderpump Rules premiere is a true reset: new cast, old SUR energy, same combustible mix of ambition and proximity. If the newcomers click with viewers and the show keeps the cameras where the stakes are—on the floor, in the alley, and just after last call—Season 12 has a real shot at recapturing the spark that made the franchise a late-night staple.