Keeping Up with the Kardashians

Did You Know?

• Robert Kardashian defended O. J. Simpson during the O.J. Simpson trial in 1994.
• The series won a People's Choice Award as Favorite TV Guilty Pleasure in 2011.
• Kris and Caitlyn Jenner received a Teen Choice Award nomination in a one-time Choice TV: Parental Unit category in 2010.

Production

The Kardashian-Jenner family's reality show began with Kris Jenner wanting to appear on television with her children. Producer Ryan Seacrest, who ran his own production company, took the idea and modeled it after The Osbournes. He sent a camera operator to film the family at a Sunday barbecue in their home. After seeing the footage, Seacrest described them as chaotic, fun, and loving. He then showed the tape to E!, a cable network known for entertainment and reality shows, which agreed to air the series. In August 2007, E! announced that the Kardashians and Jenners would star in an unscripted family sitcom produced by Seacrest and Bunim/Murray Productions. This news came just one week after Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie confirmed that their own E! show, The Simple Life, was ending.

Cast

The series revolves around the children of Kris Jenner, originally focusing on Kourtney, Kim, Khloé, and Rob Kardashian from her first marriage to Robert Kardashian. Kris's children Kendall and Kylie from her marriage to Caitlyn Jenner have also been featured since the beginning. Kourtney's boyfriend Scott Disick has appeared frequently since the first season, along with friends such as Malika Haqq and Jonathan Cheban, who joined in the second and third seasons respectively. Significant others of the Kardashian sisters have appeared, including Kim's relationship with football player Reggie Bush, which was featured in early seasons. Rob's relationship with singer Adrienne Bailon was documented from 2007 to 2009. Kim's eventual husband Kris Humphries first appeared during the premiere of the sixth season; their relationship was chronicled and ended with a wedding special. Kardashian's former publicist later claimed that Humphries was allegedly set up to be portrayed negatively and that the marriage was staged for the cameras.

Spin-offs

The success of the series led to several spin-offs. In April 2009, E! announced the first spin-off, Kourtney and Khloé in Miami, later renamed Kourtney and Kim Take Miami, which followed the sisters moving to Miami to open a new Dash boutique. The show premiered on August 16, 2009, to high ratings, with the first episode bringing in 2.7 million total viewers, becoming the most-watched show on the network since The Anna Nicole Show in 2002. It was renewed for a second season and later returned for a third season. In 2010, The Spin Crowd premiered, produced by Kim Kardashian West, focusing on Jonathan Cheban's PR agency. A series of webisodes titled Lord Disick: Lifestyles of a Lord were also released, showcasing Disick instructing viewers on how to live like a king.

Reception

Keeping Up with the Kardashians has been consistently panned by critics since its inception. Brian Lowry of Variety described the network as widening its lens to encompass the whole irritating brood. Ginia Bellafonte of The New York Times compared the show to Gene Simmons Family Jewels and found it creepier, stating it was purely about desperate women climbing to the margins of fame. Laura Burrows of IGN criticized the family for being self-seeking and using the platform for notoriety. Roxana Hadadi of The Washington Post was extremely negative, citing the show's absurdity and capturing dumb instances. Amaya Rivera of Popmatters noted something disturbing about the family's hunger for fame and found the show boring. John Kubicek of BuddyTV discussed the family's success as resembling a Möbius strip. Harriet Ryan and Adam Tschorn of the Los Angeles Times described it as a Hollywood version of The Brady Bunch. Jessica Chasmar of The Washington Times said the series illustrates moral, spiritual, and cultural decay.