Illustration by Chris Piascik

When Real Housewives of Atlanta debuted in fall 2008, it kicked off a reality TV boom in Atlanta. Since then the metro area has played home to no fewer than 50 reality shows, from high-drama docusoaps like Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta, to competitions like My Diet is Better Than Yours, to makeover fantasies like Flipping Virgins.

While the state’s film and entertainment tax credit, which was approved in 2005 and expanded in 2008, has played a huge role in luring productions, profits are only part of the draw. We spoke with reality TV producers and showrunners who say the city has a special allure of its own. “There’s definitely some magic down there,” says Matt Anderson, cofounder and executive producer at Purveyors of Pop, who has worked on RHOA and Married to Medicine. “There’s something exciting and sexy about the city, but it’s accessible at the same time. It’s like a lot of mini-cities in one.”

Edited by Jennifer Rainey Marquez