Keeping Up with the Kardashians
Keeping Up with the Kardashians (often abbreviated KUWTK) is an American reality television series which focused on the personal and professional lives of the Kardashian–Jenner blended family. It aired on the E! network between 2007 and 2021. The series focused mainly on sisters Kim, Kourtney, and Khloé Kardashian and their half-sisters, Kendall and Kylie Jenner. It also featured their parents, Kris and Bruce/Caitlyn Jenner, and brother, Rob. Partners of the Kardashian sisters also appeared on the show. Its premise originated with Ryan Seacrest, who also served as an executive producer. The series premiered on the E! cable network on October 14, 2007, and ran for 20 seasons over the span of almost fourteen years, becoming one of the longest-running reality television series in the US. The final season premiered on March 18, 2021.[2][3]
Keeping Up with the Kardashians
Brandon Burton
Aaron Lammer
Francis Farewell Starlite
"Morning" by Francis and the Lights[1]
United States
English
20
280 + 6 specials (list of episodes)
Los Angeles, California
- 22 minutes (seasons 1–6)
- 42 minutes (season 7–20)
October 14, 2007 –
June 20, 2021
Keeping Up with the Kardashians was universally panned since its premiere. It was often criticized for the high degree of emphasis on the "famous for being famous" concept, and for appearing to fabricate some aspects of its storylines. However, some critics described the series as a "guilty pleasure" and acknowledged the family's success. Despite its negative reviews, Keeping Up with the Kardashians attracted high viewership ratings, becoming one of the network's most successful shows and winning several audience awards. The series' success led additionally to the creation of numerous spin-off series, including: Kourtney and Kim Take Miami, Kourtney and Kim Take New York, Khloé & Lamar, Kourtney and Khloé Take The Hamptons, Dash Dolls, Rob & Chyna, Life of Kylie, and Flip It Like Disick. The network also broadcast several television specials featuring special events involving members of the family and friends.
On September 8, 2020, the family announced via Instagram that the show would end in 2021.[4] The series concluded on June 20, 2021.[5] Nearly a year later, the family returned to reality television for the Hulu series The Kardashians, which premiered on April 14, 2022.[6]
Background[edit]
Robert Kardashian (1944–2003) and Kristen 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. In 1991, Kris married retired Olympic decathlon champion Bruce Jenner (born 1949; now known as Caitlyn Jenner since undergoing a gender transition in 2015).[7] In 1994, Robert entered the media spotlight when he defended O. J. Simpson for the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman during the O.J. Simpson trial.[8][9] Kris and Caitlyn had two daughters together, Kendall (born 1995) and Kylie (born 1997). Robert died in 2003, eight weeks after being diagnosed with esophageal cancer.[10]
The Kardashian sisters began appearing in the media spotlight more often. In the early 2000s, Kim worked as a personal assistant for hotel heiress and reality TV star, Paris Hilton.[11] During her employment for Hilton, Kim briefly developed a very close friendship with Hilton during a high point in Hilton's fame. This friendship helped boost Kim's personal fame by allowing her to occasionally appear in episodes of The Simple Life which featured Hilton. Kim and Hilton's close friendship ensured that Kim would appear in public, notably in paparazzi shots, with Hilton. Kim also worked for several other celebrities in the early 2000s, further boosting her fame and connections.[12] Notably, in 2004, Kim became a personal stylist for singer Brandy Norwood. She eventually developed into a full-time stylist, and was a personal shopper and stylist for actress and singer Lindsay Lohan.[13]
Khloé, Kim, and Kourtney ventured further into fashion, opening a high fashion boutique Dash in Calabasas, California. Throughout Kim's early career, she was involved in some high-profile relationships including Brandy Norwood's brother, singer Ray J, and later, singer Nick Lachey.[13] In 2005, Kourtney starred in her first reality television series, Filthy Rich: Cattle Drive.[14]
In February 2007, a home sex tape that Kim made with Ray J in October 2003 was leaked.[15] Vivid Entertainment bought the rights for $1 million and released the film as Kim Kardashian, Superstar on February 21.[15] The release of the sex tape was a major contributor to the rising fame of Kim Kardashian and her family.[16]
Cast[edit]
The reality series revolves around the children of Kris Jenner, and originally focused mainly on the children from her first marriage to deceased attorney Robert Kardashian: Kourtney, Kim, Khloé, and Rob. Kris' children Kendall and Kylie from her subsequent marriage to American athlete Caitlyn Jenner have also been featured on the show since its beginning.[36][37] Kourtney's boyfriend Scott Disick has also been appearing frequently on the show since the first season, as well as on the show's spin-offs.[36] Cast members also include numerous friends and other acquaintances of the family members, most notably Malika Haqq and Jonathan Cheban who joined Keeping Up with the Kardashians in the second and third seasons, respectively.[38][39]
Most of the Kardashian sisters' significant others have appeared on the reality series. Kim's relationship with football player Reggie Bush was featured on the early seasons of the show when they were dating; after the breakup, Bush commented on appearing on the show saying that he never felt comfortable being followed by cameras, adding: "I do it because it's important to [Kim]."[40] Rob's relationship with singer Adrienne Bailon has also been documented on the show when they were dating from 2007 to 2009; although Bailon later admitted that the decision to appear on the show, and be associated with the family, hurt her career.[41] Kim's eventual husband Kris Humphries first appeared on the show during the premiere of the sixth season; their relationship was chronicled throughout the season and ended with the couple's wedding special "Kim's Fairytale Wedding: A Kardashian Event".[42] They eventually went through a highly publicized divorce; Kardashian's former publicist later claimed that Humphries was allegedly set up to be portrayed on the show in a negative way and that the short-lived marriage was staged for the cameras as a ploy to generate money.[43][44]
Khloé married basketball player Lamar Odom during a fourth-season premiere aired in 2009. He later had a major role as part of the supporting cast from the fourth series, though he ceased appearing following the breakdown of the marriage.[45] He later returned to the show during the conclusion of the 11th series and subsequent 12th season following his collapse. Kim's latest ex-husband Kanye West made his first appearance on Keeping Up with the Kardashians in July 2012 during the seventh season when he started dating Kim.[46] However, West initially did not continue to appear. He explained the reasons for not appearing on the show later: "You know, the amount of backlash I got from it is when I decided to not be on the show anymore. And it's not that I have an issue with the show; I just have an issue with the amount of backlash that I get."[47] He also criticized the show for its cinematography and further complained about the way how the show is filmed.[48] Despite this, West increased his appearances from the 12th season onwards and undertook a more prominent position from season 16 onwards. Rob's fiancé Blac Chyna undertook a recurring role throughout the 12th season. In the eighth season, Caitlyn Jenner's sons, Brandon and Brody Jenner, as well as Brandon's wife at the time, Leah, joined the cast for regular appearances following Brody's cameo in season 1 and Kim’s Fairytale Wedding.[49] Khloe's boyfriend Tristan Thompson made recurring appearances on the show whilst they were together from Season 13 to 16. Although absent for most of season 17, Thompson began re appearing from season 18 onwards, undertaking a prominent role in the final season.
