Keeping Up with the Kardashians

Keeping Up with the Kardashians
Genre Reality television
Starring


Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 10
No. of episodes 138 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)
Camera setup Multiple
Running time
  • 42 minutes
    (Season 7–10)
  • 22 minutes
    (Seasons 1–6)
Production company(s)
Broadcast
Original channel E!
Picture format
Original airing October 14, 2007 – present
Chronology
Related shows
External links
Website

Keeping Up with the Kardashians is an American reality television series that has aired on E! since October 14, 2007. It focuses on the personal and professional lives of the Kardashian-Jenner family. Its premise originated with Ryan Seacrest, who additionally serves as an executive producer.

The series focuses on sisters Kim, Kourtney, and Khloé Kardashian. It additionally places emphasis on their brother Rob Kardashian, their mother Kris Jenner, their stepfather Bruce Jenner, their half-sisters Kendall and Kylie Jenner, and Kourtney's boyfriend Scott Disick. Khloé's ex-husband Lamar Odom developed a major position as part of the supporting cast in the fourth season, though he was not a regular cast member in following seasons, and rarely appeared in season 8 while attempting to repair his marriage with Khloe.[2] In season 8, Bruce's children Brody and Brandon, and Brandon's wife, Leah became recurring cast members.

Keeping Up with the Kardashians has received moderately favorable reviews from critics. However, it is often criticized for emphasizing the "famous for being famous" concept and appearing to fabricate aspects of its storyline. The series has produced the spin-offs K and K Take, Khloé & Lamar, and the forthcoming Dash Dolls. It has additionally distributed all seasons to DVD.

Episodes

Background

Robert Kardashian (1944–2003) and Kristen Mary "Kris" Houghton (born 1955) married in 1978 and had four children together, daughters Kourtney (born 1979), Kim (born 1980), and Khloé, (born 1984), and son Rob (born 1987). The couple divorced in 1991.[3] In 1994, Robert entered the media spotlight when he defended O.J. Simpson for the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman during a lengthy trial. Kris married former Olympic champion Bruce Jenner (born 1949) in 1991. Bruce and Kris had two daughters together, Kendall (born 1995) and Kylie (born 1997). Robert died in 2003 eight weeks after being diagnosed with esophageal cancer.[4] In 2004, Kim became a personal stylist to recording artist Brandy Norwood; she eventually developed into a full-time stylist, and was a personal shopper and stylist to actress Lindsay Lohan.[5] Khloé, Kim and Kourtney further ventured into fashion, opening a high fashion boutique D-A-S-H in Calabasas, California. Throughout Kim's early career, she involved herself in some high-profile relationships including Norwood's brother, rapper Ray J and later, singer Nick Lachey.[5] In 2006, Kourtney starred in her first reality television series, Filthy Rich: Cattle Drive.[6] In February 2007, a home sex video that Kim made with Ray J years earlier was leaked.[7] Vivid Entertainment bought the rights for $1 million and released the film as Kim Kardashian: Superstar on February 21.[7] Kim sued Vivid for ownership of the tape, but dropped the suit in April 2007 and settled with Vivid Entertainment for $5 million.[8]

In August 2007, it was announced that the Kardashians and Jenners would star in a yet-to-be-titled reality show on E!, with Ryan Seacrest serving as executive producer.[6] Seacrest said "At the heart of the series—despite the catfights and endless sarcasm—is a family that truly loves and supports one another [...] The familiar dynamics of this family make them one Hollywood bunch that is sure to entertain." The series announcement came one week after Paris Hilton and her friend Nicole Richie announced that their popular E! series entitled The Simple Life was ending.[6] Keeping Up With the Kardashians premiered on October 14, 2007.[9]

On November 13, 2007, it was announced that E! renewed the show for its second season.[9] The following year, it was renewed for a third season. Lisa Berger, executive vice president of original programming and series development for the network, said "viewers have embraced the Kardashian family and the series has become one of television's most-talked-about shows [...] We are fortunate to work with Seacrest and Bunim-Murray, which have an exceptional ability to capture the Kardashians' hilarious, chaotic and always entertaining personalities and family dynamics."[10] The Hollywood Reporter reported that the family made an estimated $65 million throughout 2010.[3]

In 2011, Kim married NBA player Kris Humphries in a highly publicized wedding ceremony,[11] but filed for divorce 72 days later.[12] This caused widespread backlash from the public and media.[13] Several news outlets surmised that Kardashian's marriage to Humphries was merely a publicity stunt, to promote the Kardashian family's brand and their subsequent television ventures.[14] A widely circulated petition asking to remove all Kardashian-related programming from the air has followed since their split.[15] As of December 2013, eight seasons of the series have aired. On April 24, 2012, E! signed a three-year deal with the Kardashian family that will keep the series airing through seasons seven, eight and nine.[16] The deal was estimated at $40 million.[17][18] Keeping up with the Kardashians was renewed for a tenth season, premiering on March 15, 2015.

On February 28, 2015 it was announced that Keeping up with the Kardashians had been renewed for three more seasons, with the option of a fourth and spin-offs. The deal was estimated at $80 million and included Kris, Kim, Kourtney, Khloe, Kendall, and Kylie.

Cast

The show revolves around the children of Kris Jenner, and originally focused on her children from her first marriage to deceased attorney Robert Kardashian: Kourtney, Kim, Khloé, and Rob. Kourtney's boyfriend Scott Disick is a main character on the show. As the series progressed, Kris' children Kendall and Kylie also became recurring cast members of the show. Kris' second husband[19] 1976 Summer Olympics decathlon champion Bruce Jenner, is also frequently featured on the show, and has been a recurring cast member since the show began.

Since the series' premiere, the Kardashian sisters have established careers in the fashion industry, co-owning the fashion boutique D-A-S-H and launching several fragrances and clothing collections.

Kim gained notoriety as the subject of a sex tape in 2007, and later became involved in a relationship with New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush from 2007 to March 2010.[20] In 2011, she received widespread criticism after filing for divorce from New Jersey Nets power forward Kris Humphries after a 72-day marriage. In 2012, while still married Kim became pregnant by rapper Kanye West; after suffering from preeclampsia she gave birth prematurely to their daughter North the following June.

Khloé attained notoriety in her own right after being arrested for driving under the influence in 2007, for which she was jailed for approximately three hours in 2008. The following year (during the fourth season), she married Los Angeles Lakers forward Lamar Odom after a one-month relationship. In 2012, she served as a co-host during the second season of the American version of The X Factor.

Rob launched the sock line "Arthur George" in 2012, and was involved in a relationship with singer Adrienne Bailon in the second and third seasons.

Kendall and Kylie have also established careers in the modeling industry.

In the eighth season, Bruce's sons Brandon and Brody Jenner, and Brandon's wife Leah Felder (daughter of Eagles band member Don Felder), were integrated into the supporting cast, while Kourtney, Khloé, and Kim's friends Malika Haqq and Jonathan Cheban joined the series in the second and third seasons.

The family earns an alleged total of $10 million per season of the series.[21]

Spin-offs

Spin-offs

In April 2009, it was announced that Kourtney and Khloé Take Miami,[22] would premiere in August, following the two as they open a second D-A-S-H store in Miami. The series premiered to 2.7 million[23] viewers and averaged 1.89 million[24] viewers. The second season began in June 2010 and averaged 2.717 million viewers, a 43% increase from the first season.

Kourtney and Kim Take New York premiered in January 2011, following the two as they oversee the opening of a third D-A-S-H store in SoHo.[25] The show premiered on January 23, 2011. Khloé & Lamar premiered on April 10, 2011. The second season began on February 19, 2012. The third season of Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami was retitled Kourtney and Kim Take Miami and began airing on January 20, 2013, and the season finale on April 7, 2013.

On March 26, 2014, E! announced the spinoff Keeping Up with the Kardashians spin-offs: Kourtney & Khloe Take the Hamptons /[26] Kourtney & Khloe Take the Hamptons follows Kourtney, Khloe, and Scott Disick as they relocate to The Hamptons while the girls work on the New York Dash store plus open a pop-up store.[26]

In April 2015, it was announced another spinoff called Dash Dolls would occur. Dash Dolls chronicles the employees of the Kardashian D-A-S-H boutiques.[26]

Reception

Critical reviews

Keeping Up with the Kardashians has been the subject of constant panning by critics since its inception, with the New York Times‍ '​ Ginia Bellafonte comparing it to Gene Simmons' Family Jewels and exclaiming: "But the Kardashian show is not about an eccentric family living conventionally; it is purely about some desperate women climbing to the margins of fame, and that feels a lot creepier." [27] Popmatters's Amaya Rivera has stated, regarding the series generally, "Indeed, there is something a disturbing about the Kardashians’ intense hunger for fame. But even worse—it is downright boring to watch this family live out their tedious lives." [28]

David Hinckley of the New York Daily News writes, when reviewing the 10th season of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, "Even when you think something about the Kardashians could be interesting, it’s not." [29]

U.S. television ratings

The show was a hit for E! – in its first month it became the highest-rated series on Sunday nights for ages 18 to 34 and was seen by 1.3 million total viewers according to Nielsen Media Research.[9][30] Lisa Berger, executive vice president of original programming and series development for E!, said "The buzz surrounding the series is huge, and viewers have clearly fallen for the Kardashians [...] Seacrest and Bunim-Murray's unique ability to capture this family's one-of-a-kind dynamics and hilarious antics has made the series a fantastic addition to our prime-time lineup."[9] The second season continued the success and was viewed by 1.6 million viewers, a 23% increase from the first season.[31]

The season five premiere episode "Kim's House Party" attracted a total of 4.67 million viewers, as well as becoming the series highest rated episode to date.[32] However, the following episode "Blind Date" saw a drop in rating falling to 3.57 million viewers and continued to drop until the episode "Kourt Goes A.W.O.L" saw a dramatic rise in viewers, drawing 3.77 million viewers.[33][34] The second highest rated episode of the season "The Kardashians Take NYC" drew 4.06 million viewers[35] The season six premiered on 2011 June 12. drawing 2.50 million views as well as becoming the series' lowest rated premiere to date.[36] Season six's highest rating episode is "Kim's Fairytale Wedding: A Kardashian Event — Part 1" drawing a total of 4.39 million viewers.[37] Season seven premiered with the episode "Who's Your Daddy?", drawing 2.85 million viewers.[38] Season eight premiered with the episode "We're Having a Baby", drawing 3.02 million viewers.[39] Season nine premiered with "Loving and Letting Go", drawing 2.56 million viewers.[40]

References

  1. ↑ "Comcast's Big Bang". Multichannel News (Special Report ed.) 29 (40): 20. October 13, 2008. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
  2. ↑ Garcia, Jen "Khloé Kardashian Odom and Lamar Odom Are in Couples Therapy" People.com, November 14, 2013
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1
  4. ↑ Robert Kardashian, a Lawyer For O. J. Simpson, Dies at 59 New York Times Published: October 2, 2003
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Kim Kardashian Biography". People. Time Warner. Retrieved December 13, 2012.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Serpe, Gina (August 8, 2007). "Kim Kardashian Gets a Dose of E!". E!. Retrieved December 13, 2012.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Vivid Entertainment (February 7, 2007). "Vivid Entertainment Spends $1-Million To Acquire Notorious Video 'Starring' Sexy Socialite Kim Kardashian And Hip Hop Star Ray J". Hip Hop Press. Retrieved October 6, 2008.
  8. ↑ Johnson, Richard (May 1, 2007). "Happy Ending". New York Post. Retrieved February 26, 2008.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Kinon, Cristina (November 13, 2007). "E! renews 'Keeping Up With the Kardashians'". Daily News. Mortimer Zuckerman. Retrieved December 13, 2012.
  10. ↑ "E! Renews Keeping Up with the Kardashians - July 17, 2008 07:36:00 | Broadcasting & Cable". Broadcastingcable.com. Retrieved December 13, 2012.
  11. ↑ Hughes, Sarah Anne (October 7, 2011). "Kim Kardashian wedding special to air this Sunday: Will you watch?". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 2, 2011.
  12. ↑ "Kim Kardashian to file for divorce from Kris Humphries". TMZ.com.
  13. ↑ "Kardashian Brand Tarnishing Fast, Say Promoters — ABC News". Abcnews.go.com. January 16, 2012. Retrieved December 13, 2012.
  14. ↑ "Was Kardashian marriage a sham?". Chicago Tribune. November 1, 2011. Retrieved November 1, 2011.
  15. ↑ "Thousands Sign ‘No More Kardashian’ Petition – ABC News". Abcnews.go.com. November 16, 2011. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
  16. ↑ "Kardashian clan coming to Britain to film new series". Mirror.co.uk. April 23, 2012. Retrieved August 9, 2012.
  17. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie. "'Keeping Up With The Kardashians' Renewed — E! Extends Series For Three More Seasons". Deadline.com. Retrieved August 9, 2012.
  18. ↑ Meghan Casserly (April 18, 2012). "Keeping Up With The Kardashians 2015: E! Pays $40 Million For Three More Years". Forbes. Retrieved December 13, 2012.
  19. ↑ "Kris Jenner Talks Bruce Jenner Split: 'We Are Better People And Happier' Apart" Huffington Post, October 31, 2013
  20. ↑ http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20353935,00.html Kim Kardashian & Reggie Bush Taking Step Back in Their Relationship By Jennifer Garcia March 23, 2010 at 03:00 PM EDT
  21. ↑ Battaglio, Stephen; Schneider, Michael (August 26, 2013). "What They Earn". TV Guide. pp. 16 - 20.
  22. ↑ "Breaking News — Development Update: Tuesday, April 21". The Futon Critic. Retrieved October 7, 2010.
  23. ↑ "E!’s Kourtney and Khloe’ Take Miami premiere averages 2.7 million". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
  24. ↑ "Season Finale of "Kourtney & Khloe Take Miami" Hits Highs on E!". TVbytheNumbers.com. Retrieved August 17, 2010.
  25. ↑ "Look Out, New York: Here Comes E!'s New Kardashian Show". E! Online. Retrieved October 7, 2010.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 Goldberg, Lesley (March 26, 2014). "E! Upfront Slate: More Kardashians, 'Rich Kids,' Lance Bass and 'Gucci' Miniseries". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 26, 2014.
  27. ↑ Bellafonte, Ginia. "Keeping Up With the Kardashians The All-Too-Easy Route to Stardom". New York Times. New York Times. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  28. ↑ Rivera, Amaya. "Keeping Up with the Kardashians: Season 1". PopMatters. PopMatters.com. Retrieved 2015-04-22.
  29. ↑ Hinckley, David. "'Keeping Up With the Kardashians' review: Even with Bruce Jenner's central role, Season 10 is a dud". New York Daily News. New York Daily News. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  30. ↑ "E! Renews 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians'". BuddyTV. November 13, 2007. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
  31. ↑ Yahoo! News July 17, 2008
  32. ↑ "Sunday Cable Ratings: ‘True Blood, Rubicon, Mad Men, Kardashians‘ & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
  33. ↑ "Sunday Cable Ratings: More Records for True Blood + The Glades, Rubicon, Mad Men & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved September 1, 2010.
  34. ↑ "Sunday Cable Ratings: ‘Boardwalk Empire’ Premieres; ‘Rubicon’ Still Struggling + The Glades, Mad Men, Kardashians & Lots More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved September 22, 2010.
  35. ↑ "Sunday Cable Ratings: Kardashians Finale Way Up; Boardwalk Empire, Dexter, Swamp People & Much More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 27, 2010.
  36. ↑ "'Keeping Up With the Kardashians' Returns to Ratings Slip". The Hollywood Reporter. June 13, 2011. Retrieved November 1, 2011.
  37. ↑ "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'True Blood' Rises, Leads Night + Kardashians, 'Entourage,' 'Leverage,' 'Breaking Bad,' & Much More — Ratings | TVbytheNumbers". TV by the Numbers. October 11, 2011. Retrieved November 1, 2011.
  38. ↑ Sunday Cable Ratings: NBA Playoffs, + ‘Game of Thrones’, ‘Keeping Up With the Kardashians’, ‘Ax Men’, ‘The Client List’, ‘Sister Wives’, + More - Ratings | TVbytheNumbers
  39. ↑ Kondolojy, Amanda (June 4, 2013). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'Game of Thrones' Wins Night + 'Keeping Up With the Kardashians', 'Real Housewives of New Jersey', 'Breaking Amish', 'Mad Men' & More". TV by the Numbers.
  40. ↑ Bibel, Sara (January 22, 2014). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' Wins Night, 'Keeping Up With the Kardashians', 'Shameless', 'True Detective', 'Girls' & More". TV by the Numbers.

External links