The Hills
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Hills | |
|---|---|
 Title Sequence |
|
| Genre | Reality |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Creator(s) | Adam Divello |
| Starring | Lauren Conrad Heidi Montag Audrina Patridge Whitney Port Jordan Eubanks Brian Drolet Jason Wahler |
| Country of origin | USA |
| Original channel | MTV |
| Original run | May 31, 2006– |
| No. of episodes | 10 (season two next year) |
| IMDb profile | |
The Hills is an MTV drama series, and a spinoff of Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County, which follows Lauren Conrad and several of her affluent friends to Los Angeles, California. It depicts her new--but no less complicated--life after leaving her home in Laguna Beach, California for an upscale apartment complex in Los Angeles. Lauren struggles to balance her responsibilities as a Teen Vogue intern with her life as a student at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising and her commitment to her boyfriend, while her friends face similar conflicts between school, work, love, and nightlife. The Hills premiered on May 31, 2006 , in the U.S., June 14, 2006, in Australia, June 21, 2006, in Canada and July 18, 2006, in Latin America. On July 31, 2006, it was announced that the show will be coming back for a second season, which will air in Jannuary of next year [1] The show has been top ten in ratings for all programs in adults 18-24 and teens. [2] The theme song is Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield.
Contents |
[edit] Cast
Lauren Conrad's journey to independence begins as she moves to Los Angeles, interns for Teen Vogue, and meets up with her then ex-boyfriend, Jason Wahler. After an unsuccessful semester at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, she is determined to make time in Los Angeles and at Teen Vogue work.
Heidi Montag, Lauren's good friend, appeared in the second-to-last episode of the second season of Laguna Beach, helping with Lauren's fashion show. After living in San Francisco for a year, she moved with Lauren to Los Angeles to attend FIDM, but realized that school "isn't for [her]." She dropped out of school when she found her dream job working at an event-planning agency, but soon finds that it isn't the dream life she expected.
Audrina Patridge is Heidi's first new friend in Los Angeles and lives in the same apartment complex as them. Audrina has a steady job, but aspires to be an actress. She is also determined to find a boyfriend that is right for her.
Whitney Port is Lauren's friend and fellow intern at Teen Vogue. She always lends an ear to Lauren when she needs it and has proven to be a trustworthy friend. But she eventually finds that her internship will require more than just sitting at a desk as she gets the chance to model on the catwalk for the very first time and has also gotten an internship in NY for Teen Vogue.
Jordan is Heidi's now ex-boyfriend and lives with his best friend, Brian, when he's not sleeping at Heidi's. He is a long way from North Carolina, where he grew up, and still trying to find a focus in Los Angeles...a focus other than Heidi, that is. Jordan moved to Hollywood with dreams of making it big as an actor/model/musician, but so far he's gotten into more nightclubs than auditions.
- Brian Drolet More on Brian
Brian drove cross-country with Jordan to pursue his Hollywood dreams. Jordan and Brian found an apartment together, but while Jordan has been focusing on Heidi, Brian has been focusing on his career. Brian's determination has been paying off -- from small movie roles, to standup appearances, to modeling gigs, Brian gets closer to his goal every day. Brian's other goal is to remain single, but matchmaker Heidi is always looking to hook him up.
Jason is a bearded surfer who seems to be the cause of many problems and drama on the show. He dated Lauren Conrad (L.C.), but was caught kissing Jessica at L.C.'s fashion show. Lauren witnessed the kiss and broke up with Jason later that night. They have been back together since August 2005. He claims to love Lauren, but they often fight.
[edit] Episode Guide
[edit] Season One
Episode 1 - "New City, New Drama" - first aired on May 31, 2006 (U.S.), June 21, 2006 (Canada).
Lauren Conrad moves to Los Angeles (L.A.) to attend fashion school (FIDM) as well as score an internship at Teen Vogue where she meets another intern named Whitney. Lauren rooms in an apartment with her best friend Heidi, a stereotypical lazy, spoiled party girl. She soon realizes that this is the first step to juggling relationships, school, and a job. She's put in charge of the VIP area at a Teen Vogue party by Lisa Love, the magazine's West Coast editor and Lauren's boss. When Heidi decides to crash the party with a group of some friends, Lauren is scolded by Love for letting them sit in the VIP area and causing drama with Heidi's boyfriend.
Episode 2 - "A Change of Plans" - first aired on June 7, 2006 (U.S.), June 28, 2006 (Canada).
While going clubbing one night, Heidi meets Brent, who is the founder of Bolthouse, an event-planning career. He sets up an interview with her and Heidi skips class yet again to do it. Lauren gets upset when Heidi tells her she will quit school if she gets this job, her dream job (after all, Lauren and Heidi had moved to Los Angeles to go to school together). When Heidi calls Lauren at Teen Vogue with the news she landed the job, Lauren is disappointed in her friend for dropping out of school.
Episode 3 - "An Unexpected Call" - first aired on June 14, 2006 (U.S.), July 5, 2006 (Canada).
Lauren, on a typical workday at Teen Vogue, soon finds out that she must bring a dress to New York Fashion Week for her boss. She is in a state of shock as she packs her clothes and tells Heidi, "I could be there from anywhere to a day to five days" (although this isn't true). Heidi, in the meantime, begins work at Bolthouse and discovers that her "dream job" isn't what she expected. After one day at Bolthouse, she considers quitting but resumes her work nonetheless. As Lauren comes back to her apartment, she finds a new message on her voice mail, from ex-boyfriend and Laguna Beach star Jason Wahler asking to meet up. She is taken by surprise and goes to school the same day, pondering what she should do.
Episode 4 - "Lauren and Jason, Take Two" - first aired on June 21, 2006 (U.S.), July 12, 2006 (Canada).
Heidi is having yet more trouble at work. She feels like she isn't getting put to use at her desk job (she expected to be working in clubs from day one) and the next day while Lauren is working at Teen Vogue she calls Jordan from the balcony of her apartment certain that she is quitting. Eventually she resumes work. At Teen Vogue the next day Lauren receives a visit from Jason with flowers. He then takes her out to lunch followed by a movie later on that night. She decides to meets up with Jason at a cafe and questions why he called her. They talked about why they broke up.
Episode 5 - "Jason's Birthday" - first aired on June 28, 2006 (U.S.), July 19, 2006 (Canada).
Heidi and Lauren go buy a set of $700 Callaway golf clubs as a surprise gift for Jason's birthday. Later on that day, Lauren finds out that she must assist at a photo shoot on a Wednesday, which happens to be Jason's birthday. When Jason finds out the news about Lauren's work schedule, he becomes upset. That same night Audrina goes out on a date with Danny, and aspiring model and actor, to a Mexican restaurant. The date doesn't go well as Danny comes off as a bit arrogant and awkward conversationally (she later joins the others at another restaurant). As Lauren complains at work about missing out on Jason's birthday, she is able to leave the Teen Vogue offices after skipping out of an optional beach photo shoot. Later that evening Lauren, Jason, Audrina, Heidi, and others celebrate Jason's birthday at a restaurant. Jason inexplicably ignores Lauren throughout the dinner and Lauren becomes angry.
Episode 6 - "Boyfriends & Work Don't Mix" - first aired July 5, 2006 (U.S.), July 26, 2006 (Canada).
Heidi is faced with boyfriend and work conflicts of her own, as she begins working at clubs on the same night of and her and her boyfriend's six-month anniversary. Jason apologizes to Lauren for his behavior at his birthday party. While Lauren is taking a test at school, Whitney learns of a major Teen Vogue/DKNY Jeans fashion show. Heidi attempts to adjust her work schedule around her personal schedule unsuccessfully. She also learns that she cannot enter the club while on the job much to her disappointment. Lauren arrives late to the wardrobe rehearsal and is scolded to her surprise. When the fashion show begins, one of the models doesn't show up and Whitney is forced to walk in the show. Heidi, still in disbelief that she has to work, heads to an early dinner with her boyfriend. Later on while Heidi is at the club Heidi's boyfriend Jordan shows up and Heidi sneaks into the club with him against the rules. Heidi's ex-date also arrives and begins talking to Heidi, and Heidi's current boyfriend, apparently drunk underage, becomes very angry and leaves.
Episode 7 - "Somebody Always Has to Cry" - first aired July 12, 2006 (U.S.), August 2, 2006 (Canada).
Jordan and Lauren go shopping for a Christmas gift for Jason. They buy him dogtags with black diamonds. Lauren gets a black Chanel purse from Jason. All Heidi wants is a puppy, and gets a stuffed dog from Jordan. Jordan also gets a piece of jewelry. After everyone is done opening presents, Heidi is disappointed that she didn't get a puppy. Just when she thinks Christmas is over, Jordan brings out a box with airholes: inside is a chihuahua pup, that she names Bella. When Lauren's ex-crush calls her, and Jason finds out, things turn sour. He calls her at the salon she and Heidi are at, and then hangs up on her. Later that night, at a club celebration on New Year's Eve, Jason gets Lauren upset when he harasses her and threatens to break up. Later, Heidi and Lauren get into a cab and go to their apartment. Jason calls Lauren's cell, and Heidi tells him she doesn't want to talk. By the end of the night, Jordan, Heidi, Jason, and Lauren are reunited at the apartment-building parking lot. The couples share a New Year's kiss, and everything is normal again.
Episode 8 - "You Can't Just Be With Me?" - first aired on July 19, 2006 (U.S.), August 9, 2006 (Canada).
Whitney and Lauren are given the task of photographing male models for Teen Vogue, causing Jason to feel jealous and have another "outburst". Meanwhile, Heidi and Jordan get into yet another argument.
Episode 9 - "Love Is Not a Maybe Thing" - first aired on July 26, 2006 (U.S.), August 16, 2006 (Canada).
Heidi realizes that her relationship with Jordan is starting to go downhill and also starts to realize that she may not feel true love for Jordan as he continues to treat her badly, and she finally decides to end their relationship, and looks forward to life being single. Lauren and Jason's relationship, however, is doing well or at least what they consider well.
Episode 10 - "Timing is Everything" - first aired on August 2, 2006 (U.S.), August 23, 2006 (Canada).
Lauren is rising the ranks at Teen Vogue, and Lisa Love seems to be noticing. Jason buys a summer beachouse for him and Lauren to share, but she is overwhelmed when Lisa approaches her about a Summer internship in Paris (Whitney will be interning in New York City), and she has to decide to choose love or opportunity. Meanwhile, Audrina and Heidi make plans to meet guys over the Summer since Heidi is now single. Lauren eventually chooses to forgo her opportunity, and moves in with Jason. The audience is left with the appearance that Whitney takes the internship in Paris instead. It turns out that the internship in Paris was staged and that there was not really a "Big Decision" looming over Lauren.
[edit] Season Two
The second season of The Hills will premiere on January 15, 2007 as part of MTV's new Monday night lineup.
[edit] Controversy
 |
The factual accuracy of this article or section is disputed. Please see the relevant discussion on the talk page. |
There has been controversy over whether The Hills is scripted, or at least whether the situations that the cast members have gotten involved in were pre-planned in some way. Some have said that the circumstances on the show (for instance, the cast members' personal and scheduling conflicts, or Lauren having gotten an internship at Teen Vogue with minimal experience) seem implausible. One TV critic wrote that "the situations and dialogue come straight from a page." [3] People associated with the show have denied this; the editor at Teen Vogue has said that Lauren was qualified for the job, and Lauren herself has claimed she "can't even read a script". [4] However, many of Lauren's driving scenes seem planned as they often feature various shots from alternate angles covering her journey, and the show contains many possible "half-truths." The apartment complex where the cast lived is rumored not to be the Hillside Villas but the Park La Brea, and Heidi is said to be an intern, not a full-time employee, at Bolthouse Productions. The casting itself may also be questionable. Whitney is said to be a college roommate of Laguna Beach star Christina Schuller, while Brian worked on another MTV show called Damage Control, raising suspicions that they were cast not as "real people," but because they were already familiar to MTV producers.
