The Hills
| Television series | |
|---|---|
| German title | The Hills |
| Original title | The Hills |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Year (s) | 2006-2010 |
| length | 20 minutes |
| Episodes | 102 in 6 seasons |
| genre | Reality TV |
| Theme music | Natasha Bedingfield - Unwritten |
| production | Adam DiVello |
| First broadcast | May 31, 2006 on MTV (USA) |
| German-language first broadcast |
June 8, 2007 on MTV Germany |
| main actor | |
| supporting cast | |
The Hills is an American reality television - television series radio station MTV , which aired from 2006 by 2010.
The first five seasons of the series follow the lives of former Laguna Beach - The Real Orange County actress Lauren Conrad and her three friends Heidi Montag , Audrina Patridge and Whitney Port in Los Angeles , California . However, this is not done in the form of a documentary, but in the style of a reality TV show. The attempt is made to achieve the quality of series with a script in terms of optics, camera work and music. It is not the aim of the production team to give a factual and comprehensive overview of the lives of the actresses. Instead, the actresses are accompanied by cameras in everyday situations. The focus is on events in the private and to a lesser extent in the professional environment, whereby in the latter case private matters are also discussed.
At the end of the fourth season, Whitney Port stepped out of the series, as did lead actress Lauren Conrad during the fifth season. Kristin Cavallari , who also starred in the previous series Laguna Beach , took her place .
From May 31, 2006, the series ran in the US on MTV and from June 8, 2007 in Germany. The series consists of six seasons, with the last episode airing on July 13, 2010. With a few exceptions, the episodes are around 20 minutes long. In addition to being broadcast on television, the episodes are also available on the MTV website. In the USA, every episode was accompanied by a “Live After Show”, which is also available on the web.
Critics attest the series a shallow plot, as well as a visual performance that is above the level of the usual reality TV shows. The series tries to ignore influences that arise from the popularity of the series. According to some critics, this is at odds with the concept of a reality TV series.
prehistory
In 2004, MTV started a reality television series called Laguna Beach - The Real Orange County . Lauren Conrad starred here alongside Stephen Colletti and Kristin Cavallari . The series showed the lives of the three actors and other teenagers in Laguna Beach .
The first season of the series averaged 2.2 million viewers and in the first half of 2005, 3.1 million viewers were recorded. A massive advertising campaign in which MTV advertised the series in 2,200 cinemas with a three-minute advertisement ensured its success.
After the first season, the actors received acting offers. Lauren Conrad, who discovered after taking acting classes that she was not good enough for it, decided to study at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising , while the other actors were willing to accept these offers. MTV decided on a new reality TV series, The Hills , with Lauren Conrad as the main character. The resulting continuity between the two series enabled other actors from Laguna Beach to appear in The Hills .
The concept of Laguna Beach was identical to that of The Hills . The dialogues had not been agreed, but the places to be played were set in advance so that the crew had permission to film on site. Hisham Abed, who later also worked for The Hills , was responsible for the relatively high-quality optics compared to other reality TV programs .
The third season of Laguna Beach introduced new leads after Lauren Conrad (for The Hills ) and other main characters left the series. Stephen Colletti then worked as an actor and VJ for MTV and Kristin Cavallari as a presenter and actress. The series eventually ended after the third season.
In 2007, MTV Newport Harbor: The Real Orange County started with a similar concept to The Hills and Laguna Beach , but with new actors and therefore without any reference to The Hills or Laguna Beach . The only thing that Laguna Beach and Newport Harbor have in common is that both locations are in Orange County . The series ended after a year with twelve episodes.
In late 2008, the series The City began with Whitney Port in the lead role, who was eliminated from The Hills . MTV decided after media reports for a new show because Lauren Conrad's popularity offered less and less space for usable private scenes and Whitney Port's private life has so far been little addressed in The Hills . In 2010, The City was discontinued along with The Hills .
popularity
The program The Hills , which started in 2006, was a ratings success in the USA. There were audience reach of about 4 million viewers. In the third season, the highest ratings were measured with 4.8 million viewers and 1.8 million web views. This made the show one of the series with the highest ratings based on the Nielsen ratings for cable television. Furthermore was The Hills , the show with the most viewers on MTV, and the highest market share among young women for cable television (November, 2008). The last season reached an average of 2.3 million viewers, with the last episode being seen by almost 3 million viewers.
The website had approximately 775,000 visitors per week. Great success was also achieved with the marketing of the music that could be heard in the episodes. Individual songs were able to achieve an increase in sales of 84% to 1660%.
There was extensive reporting in the USA. There are not only reviews of the series as a whole, but also individual episodes and reports on individual events that took place in the series. New York Magazine commented on almost every episode, and thehollywoodgossip.com and Entertainment Weekly offer reviews and summaries of the individual episodes.
The increasing popularity of the series and the actresses meant that events relevant to the series were already being disseminated through the media before they were shown on the series. The US Magazine and thehollywoodgossip.com reported in advance on Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt's marriage in Mexico in November 2008, before it could be featured in the series. It was also reported that the wedding, which was repeated in the USA for legal reasons, did not go as planned. In the series it turned out that Spencer Pratt had changed his mind at the last second. NY Daily News was trying to determine if the wedding actually took place or was merely posed based on the promo material for the final episode of the fourth season that was presented to a court spokesman. After the episode aired, several media reported on it, including the New York Post , International Business Times , People Magazine and the Los Angeles Times , among others .
Also in 2007 months before the start of the third season, a rumor that a sex video with Lauren Conrad existed was picked up by the media, as was a rumor in the fourth season that Lauren Conrad was having an affair with Audrina Patridge's friend Justin. Other less important messages to the part of the tabloids are also common, such as the emergence of the actors in a bar. The entertainment magazine Extra from Warner Bros. Television brings, according to the executive producer Lisa Gregorisch-Dempsey at least two posts per week, with The Hills deal .
In 2008, the popularity also reached the 2008 presidential election in the United States . When Heidi Montag announced her support for John McCain, McCain announced that he would not miss any episode of the series. Barack Obama then promised David Letterman that his first official act would end the enmity between Lauren and Heidi.
In 2010, the last episode received special attention. Especially the last scene (see plot of the 6th season) invited to interpretations. So it was assumed that the scene was a hint to the skeptics or the actual admission that the series was staged.
production
There were no scripts for the individual episodes. Every Sunday the producers talked to the actresses about their plans for the following week. On Monday, the production staff discussed who and where should be filmed. With the exception of the camera-free days (Monday and Tuesday), the team accompanied the actresses on events that could be dramaturgically interesting. Some scenes were also re-enacted if, for example, the cameras were not present during an interesting conversation or something unexpected happened.
A filming permit had to be obtained from the owners of the bars, clubs or other shops at the filming locations. The consequence was that the actresses could only appear at the location afterwards and therefore waited for a notification. Therefore, the show was called "scheduled reality". All guests present at the time of filming are also asked to sign a declaration of consent or to stand somewhere else. If necessary, they were also filmed around these guests. It was agreed with the paparazzi that they would be allowed to make their recordings as soon as the production crew had finished their recordings.
Since the producers found out about the daily routine of the actresses, they sometimes made sure that interesting encounters took place. For example, a barbecue scene was arranged with an ex-boyfriend of Lauren Conrad and another boy she had just met.
The plot of the series neglects all points that arose from the popularity of the actresses. There was no mention of Lauren's fashion collection or her appearances as the performer of The Hills at other events. Likewise, Heidi Montag's attempts to gain a foothold in the music industry.
The cast earned between $ 8,000 and $ 75,000 per episode, according to a report in In Touch Weekly . Lauren Conrad will receive $ 75,000, Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt will each receive $ 65,000, and Audrina Patridge will receive $ 35,000. Towards the end of the series, the fees increased. Kristin Cavallari received $ 90,000, Lauren Conrad $ 125,000 and Audrina Patridge, Lauren “Lo” Bosworth and Heidi Montag each received $ 100,000.
authenticity
In the previous series, Laguna Beach , the question arose as to how authentic what was shown was. This question also played a role in The Hills . For example, New York Magazine called some of the disputes between Heidi and Spencer bad " method acting " and rated Lauren's surprise when she got a job at People's Revolution as untrustworthy. In addition, Heidi and Spencer, according to their own statements, actually staged disputes in front of the camera.
According to Rolling Stone Magazine , the viewer would have to become skeptical after a short viewing if, for example, a dispute between Heidi and Spencer is shown from several perspectives. However, this is partly the result of the agreed locations. And the actresses also know that they have to show interesting things in front of the camera. ("Says Audrina," It has to be interesting. They don't want us looking at magazines. "") In the interview, Audrina also suggests that she would normally have taken more time with her relationship with Justin. The actresses would end up having two lives, one for the camera and one outside the cameras.
According to executive producer Tony DiSanto, the dialogues were not discussed. When it came to filming locations, however, the actors were asked to go to locations for which they had permission to shoot, the decision being made by the actors. The decision of what was ultimately shown in the series rests with the producers. If something was not filmed, the producers asked the actors to talk about the event afterwards or reenact it. The producers also sometimes allowed themselves to cut the dialogues or events together in a different sequence than they had actually taken place.
Another question was about the jobs the actresses had on the show. Critics suspected that these were not real jobs, but pseudo jobs arranged by MTV and serving both sides. Kelly Cutrone of People's Revolution , an employer at Whitney Port, said Whitney was "a very real employee" who got paid and showed up for work whenever she wasn't filming .
occupation
The biographies are limited to what happened before and outside of the series.
Lauren Conrad
Lauren Conrad was on 1 February 1986 Laguna Beach , Orange County ( California born). She comes from a wealthy family as her father is a successful architect . Lauren has a sister Breanna (starring in Laguna Beach's third season ) three years younger and brother Brandon, who is six years younger.
Until she was 18, she attended Laguna Beach High School and was simultaneously followed by the cameras of MTV in the first season of the series Laguna Beach . After graduating from LBHS , she went to San Francisco to study at the Academy of Art University , but returned to Laguna Beach after just one semester. A short time later, she tries again, this time in Los Angeles at the FIDM ( Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising ), together with her friend Heidi Montag. At the same time, she is doing an internship at Teen Vogue . From here the action of The Hills starts .
She appeared on the cover of Teen Vogue and was named best female "TV - Choice Reality Star" at the Teen Choice Awards 2006 , beating Paris Hilton with The Simple Life . In November 2008 she appeared on the cover of Cosmopolitan .
During the series, Lauren Conrad brought out her own fashion collection, which was sold in over 500 boutiques in the United States. In addition, she appeared in advertisements for Mark cosmetics and AT&T . None of this was addressed in the series. The Forbes magazine estimated her income in 2007 and 2008 to $ 1.5 million.
Whitney Port
Whitney Port was born on March 4, 1985 in Los Angeles. She has a total of four siblings: a brother, Ryan, and three sisters, Paige, Ashley, and Jade. Her family lives in Los Angeles . Whitney graduated from the University of Southern California (USC) . She graduated in summer 2007. Whitney did a two year internship with Lauren at Teen Vogue and then worked with Lauren for People's Revolution . Before joining The Hills , she interned with a magazine called Women's Wear Daily . In March 2008, she brought her own fashion line Eve & A out.
Whitney Port starred in the spin-off The City , which is set in New York . On the series The Hills , she saw her role as a "listening ear" for Lauren Conrad.
Heidi Monday
Heidi Montag was born on September 15, 1986 in Crested Butte , Colorado . Her parents own a successful restaurant, Timberline . Heidi has an older sister Holly, a younger brother Sky and another stepbrother Eric. After high school, Heidi went to San Francisco to study at the Academy of Art University . There she met Lauren. Heidi first appeared on MTV at Laguna Beach while staying with Lauren and her family in Laguna Beach for a summer. From summer 2005, Heidi lived with Lauren in Los Angeles. First Heidi attended the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in LA with Lauren , but then she dropped out of her studies and worked at Bolthouse Productions ever since . From here the action of The Hills starts .
In 2007, Heidi underwent cosmetic surgery on her bust and nose that was not mentioned in the series. Her clothing line Heidiwood and her entry into the music world were also not mentioned. On April 25, 2009, she finally married her boyfriend Spencer Pratt in Pasadena, California.
In addition to her work at Bolthouse Productions , Heidi devotes herself to her career as a singer and recorded an album. A single, Body Language , has already been played on several radio stations in the United States. The song also features a rap from her husband Spencer. On September 15, 2007, she had an appearance at the “LAX Club” in Los Angeles, where she sang her single Higher , for which there is a video made by herself and Spencer. During the fifth season of the series, she posed for Playboy magazine and appeared with her husband in the American version of I'm a Star - Get Me Out of Here! on. These events were not discussed in the series.
Audrina Patridge
Audrina Patridge was born on May 9, 1985 in Los Angeles, California. Audrina was Lauren's and Heidi's first girlfriend in Los Angeles and lived in the same apartment complex at Hillside Villas . She didn't know any of the other cast members prior to the series and was approached by the producers when she happened to be at a pool in the apartment complex.
She first worked as a receptionist at Quixote Studios and later at Epic Records . In 2008 she starred in the films Sorority Row and Into the Blue 2 , the sequel to Into the Blue with Jessica Alba . Her work as a professional actress is not mentioned in the series.
Kristin Cavallari
Kristin Cavallari was born and raised in Denver, Colorado on January 5, 1987 . In 2004 she was cast in the series Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and played there for two seasons. In contrast to Lauren Conrad, she tried to start an acting career after Laguna Beach . She has had some moderation appearances (e.g. UPN's Get This Party Started ), as well as some roles in television films and appearances as a supporting actress on the series CSI: NY and Veronica Mars . She also appeared on the cover of Seventeen and Teen People Magazine in October 2005 . When Lauren Conrad left The Hills , she was hired as the new leading actress.
Spencer Pratt
Spencer Pratt, born August 14, 1983, is the son of a dentist and grew up in Malibu . He studied politics at the University of Southern California (USC) .
He is already Heidi's friend at the beginning of the second season and was the only male main character up to the sixth season. Spencer demands loyalty from his friends and family members; that is, that they cut off contact with Lauren. For this reason, he breaks off contact with his best friend Brody in the third season and argues with his sister Stephanie. In season five, he and his girlfriend Heidi married in Pasadena, California.
Brody Jenner
Brody Jenner first appears as Spencer's best friend in Season 2. Heidi tries to pair Lauren and Brody, and although the two become closer, a serious relationship never emerges. He and Lauren remain good friends, much to Spencer's annoyance, who unceremoniously breaks off contact with Brody. Brody is best known for his relationships with Nicole Richie , Kristin Cavallari, and playmate Jayde Nicole . With the appearance of Kristin Cavallari, he moves into the center of the action and can be seen with her in the last scene of the series.
Lauren "Lo" Bosworth
Lo is Lauren's best friend from high school . Lo was also an actress in the series Laguna Beach . In the third season, she visits Lauren frequently and moves in with Lauren and Audrina in a shared villa in Beverly Hills. From the sixth season onwards, it is featured in the opening credits, but contributes little to the plot.
Stephanie Pratt
Stephanie Pratt is Spencer's younger sister. She appears from the 3rd season first as his supporter, then later tries to take a neutral stance between the parties to the dispute (Spencer Pratt and Lauren Conrad) and thus attracts Spencer's displeasure. She is also a good friend of Heidi Montag and worked for a short time at People's Revolution alongside Lauren Conrad. From episode 5 of the 6th season, she is featured in the opening credits. Like Lo, however, it is not action-bearing.
Justin "Justin Bobby" Brescia
Justin Brescia (from season 3) is Audrina's boyfriend, with whom she has her first serious relationship. He is the third main male character after Spencer Pratt and Brody Jenner, as he can be seen in many episodes because of his relationship with Audrina and Kristin.
Supporting characters
- Jason Wahler (Seasons 1-3)
Jason Wahler is Lauren's ex-boyfriend. He was a couple with Lauren for a short time in the second season of Laguna Beach . They get back together at The Hills and move in together for a summer at the end of season one. But the relationship ended at the beginning of the second season.
- Stacie Hall (Seasons 5-6)
Stacie Hall is the bartender Spencer Pratt is flirting with on her first appearance. With the appearance of Kristin Cavallari, she becomes more involved in the plot as her friend.
- Holly Monday (Seasons 4-6)
Holly Montag is Heidi Montag's sister. In the fifth season, she tries to restore the friendship between Heidi and Lauren. She is also noticeable for her alcohol consumption. In the sixth season, contact between her and Heidi breaks off and she meets with Stephanie more often.
- Kelly Cutrone ( Seasons 4-5)
Kelly Cutrone is Whitney and Lauren's employer at Peoples Revolution . When Whitney decides to go to New York, and Lauren leaves the series, she is no longer seen. She later appeared in the second half of the first season of The City .
- Brent Bolthouse ( Seasons 1-5)
Brent Bolthouse is Heidi's employer at Bolthouse Productions . Since Heidi is shown in the first four seasons at work and in the implementation of events, he also has some appearances in the series. His last appearance was at Heidi's wedding.
action
season 1
(10 episodes from May 31, 2006)
Season one begins with Lauren moving out of her parents' house in Laguna Beach to move in with her friend Heidi Montag in Los Angeles. Lauren is enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising and has received an internship at Teen Vogue in Los Angeles. There she meets Whitney Port, who has also applied as an intern. Through Heidi, she also met Audrina Patridge, who works as a receptionist at Quixote Studios .
Heidi has enrolled in the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising with Lauren , but drops out of college to take a job offer at Bolthouse Productions . She has a relationship with Jordan Patrick Eubanks, but it breaks up after a few months.
Lauren meets several times with her ex-boyfriend Jason Wahler, whom she already knows from the previous series Laguna Beach , and moves in with him at the end of the season for the summer in Malibu . In order to be with her boyfriend Jason, she declines an offer from her boss to do an internship at Teen Vogue in Paris over the summer and leaves the internship to Whitney.
season 2
(12 episodes from January 15, 2007)
Lauren and Jason broke up before the season started and Lauren now regrets not taking the internship in Paris. Heidi has also met a new friend, Spencer Pratt, in the meantime. It was through the two of them that Lauren met her new boyfriend Brody Jenner.
Lauren and Heidi's work colleagues don't have a good impression of Spencer. Spencer flirts with Audrina and takes advantage of Heidi's absence to meet other women with Brody. At the birthday party of Jen Bunney, a friend of Lauren, she flirts with Lauren's boyfriend Brody and at the end of the evening Jen, Brody, Heidi and Spencer go out together, leaving Lauren alone with Audrina. That ends the friendship between Jen and Lauren. Lauren mainly accuses Spencer of trying to hook up her boyfriend Brody with his ex-girlfriend Jen. Since Heidi always spends more time with her boyfriend Spencer than with Lauren, Lauren sees Spencer as the main problem. Heidi, however, continues to stand by Spencer and, over time, is pressured by Spencer to decide between him and Lauren. At the end of the season, Heidi moves out of Lauren and moves in with Spencer.
Audrina now works for Epic Records and takes Lauren on a couple of double dates. At the end of the season, she moves in with Lauren.
Lauren and Whitney can be seen in several episodes at work as interns. Towards the end of the season, Whitney applies for a permanent position at Teen Vogue . At about the same time, Lauren "Lo" Bosworth reappears and can be seen more regularly below.
season 3
(18 episodes from August 15, 2007 followed by 10 additional episodes from March 24, 2008)
Even before the season began, it was rumored that Lauren had made a sex video with her ex-boyfriend Jason Wahler. Lauren is convinced that Heidi and Spencer are responsible for this. After an argument with Heidi, contact between Lauren and Heidi breaks off completely. Lauren then spends more time with her friends Lo and Audrina. The friendship with Brody has not developed a steady relationship since the second season, although the two meet often.
Audrina meets with her ex-boyfriend Justin Brescia even before the season starts. The relationship is marked by ups and downs, because Justin can not make up his mind to a permanent relationship. Various events, such as flirting with other girls in front of Audrina's eyes, cause the relationship to (temporarily) fail.
Heidi becomes engaged to Spencer and they both fly to Colorado to introduce Spencer to Heidi's family. Heidi is promoted and given a position for which a colleague had also applied. This colleague, who previously acted as a conversation partner at Bolthouse Productions in the series , then quits . Heidi and Spencer are planning a wedding, but different ideas about the wedding and the fact that Spencer has so far not told his parents about the wedding lead to tensions that end with Heidi moving in with her parents.
At the beginning of the season, Whitney has already taken up her permanent position and is therefore Lauren's boss. Both of them carry out some events and photo shoots together.
Additional consequences
The 18th episode was announced as the "season finale", but ten more episodes followed. The first episode shows Lauren and Whitney being sent to Paris to represent Teen Vogue at a debutant ball at the Hôtel de Crillon . Lauren gets a call from Audrina there that Brody, whom she got closer to, has a new girlfriend.
A dispute between Heidi and Spencer leads to Heidi asking Spencer to move out. Spencer moves in with his sister Stephanie, who befriends Lauren in a computer class, which in turn strains her relationship with Heidi and Spencer, who accuse her of lack of loyalty.
Whitney leaves Teen Vogue to pursue professional life. She wants to be more into styling. She successfully applies to People's Revolution and works there for the New York Fashion Week, among other things . Lauren, who visits Whitney at work a few times, also receives an offer from People's Revolution to follow Whitney.
Audrina reconnects with Justin and also meets Heidi a few times because she is of the opinion that the argument between Lauren and Heidi does not actually concern her.
Lauren decides to buy a house with her friend Lo. Audrina moves in, but lives in the guest house. She feels more and more excluded from the other two and is considering buying her own apartment. Lauren finally tries to talk to Audrina because she doesn't want to lose another good friend. Audrina says she feels marginalized and thinks that Lo is trying to break the two apart.
Heidi receives a job offer that would require her to travel more. She flies to Las Vegas with her boss. When Spencer finds out, he decides to go after her. When he finds Heidi, she is having dinner with her boss to discuss her future tasks. Spencer explains to her that he wants to have a real relationship with her again and asks her to fly back to Los Angeles with him. Heidi does the same the next day and leaves her boss who is waiting for her.
Season 4
(20 episodes from August 18, 2008)
After a short time, Lauren breaks up with Doug Reinhardt , her high school sweetheart from Laguna Beach. Shortly thereafter, Doug and Spencer's sister Stephanie seem to develop a relationship, which ends when Doug claims he only looked after Stephanie out of pity.
The relationship between Lauren and Audrina is also getting worse because Lauren and Audrina see each other less and less. A few episodes later, after a discussion between Lauren and Audrina, the tensions come to an end.
After further ups and downs in the relationship between Audrina and Justin, Justin is ready to enter into a committed relationship with Audrina. Audrina was looking for a new apartment with the ulterior motive of living with Justin. Justin wants to wait a while before making his decision. After Audrina moved out of Lauren, Heidi's sister Holly moved in with Lauren, who was not tolerated by Spencer in Heidi and Spencer's apartment because she tried to rekindle the friendship between Lauren and Heidi.
The mood between Stephanie and Spencer and Heidi becomes more and more irritable as Stephanie refuses to end her friendship with Lauren. Heidi briefly loses her job when she takes a drink at an event for which she was responsible and is seen by one of her superiors. Only after several discussions with her superiors can she get her job back, but she loses her office.
Whitney flies to New York City a few times to work for her company. Towards the end of the season, Whitney has an interview with Diane von Furstenberg in New York . A little later she learns that she will get the job. Lauren has a hard time saying goodbye to Whitney as they've become good friends since joining Teen Vogue. Whitney's further life is shown from here in the series The City .
Heidi and Spencer go on a short vacation to Cabo , Mexico. There Spencer asks Heidi if she would like to marry him. She agrees and so a secret wedding is carried out. Since this takes place in Mexico and is therefore not valid in the USA, Heidi and Spencer want to hold the wedding again in a court in the USA. During the ceremony, Spencer gets a remorse and asks Heidi if she really wants to hold this simple wedding. Heidi admits that she still wants a "real" wedding with her family present. Thereupon both leave the court without getting married.
Season 5
(20 episodes from April 6, 2009)
Heidi appears unexpectedly at a surprise party on the occasion of Lauren's birthday. There Heidi learns that her boyfriend Spencer is flirting with a girl in a bar. Since he continues to meet her in the following days, Heidi persuades Spencer to go into couples therapy .
Lauren asks Stephanie, who has brought Heidi to the party, although she was not invited, not to force the friendship between her and Heidi in the future. Despite this action, Lauren helps Stephanie get a job with her employer People's Revolution , but Stephanie is fired after a short time.
Audrina tries to break up with her boyfriend Justin again and tries to arouse Brody's interest in her. Although Brody is not interested in a relationship with her, it comes to an argument with her boyfriend Justin.
After surviving the relationship crisis, Spencer makes Heidi a marriage proposal. Heidi desperately wants Lauren to be with her at her wedding, so Spencer decides to apologize to Lauren. He also admits that he is responsible for rumors with the sex tape (beginning of the third season).
After much hesitation, Lauren decides to show up for the wedding. On the wedding day, to her surprise, Kristin Cavallari appears there, who can now be seen instead of Lauren Conrad from the tenth episode onwards. Lauren quits her job at People's Revolution and moves out of the shared villa with Lo.
A kind of love triangle develops between the new actress Kristin, Audrina and their ex-boyfriend Justin . Although Justin and Audrina consider their relationship ended and Justin starts dating Kristin, Justin and Audrina continue to date. At the same time, Kristin is involved in another love triangle with Brody and his girlfriend Jayde Nicole (" Playmate of the Year 2008 "). At the end of the season, Brody ends his relationship with Jayde and shows an interest in Kristin. Kristin, however, wants to give the relationship with Justin a chance.
In the second half of the season, Heidi and Spencer move into a new apartment and argue about whether they should have children.
Season 6
(12 episodes from April 27, 2010)
In the sixth season, Lo and Stephanie are shown in the opening credits as the main characters. However, the people named in the opening credits are not always the focus of this season. Heidi and Spencer can be seen in a few episodes at the beginning of the season and not at all later. Lo doesn't add much to the plot either, as her private life is not discussed except for a few shots at work and with her boyfriend. On the other hand, Brody's new friend McKeala can be seen not only in the triangular relationship between her, Kristin and Brody in several episodes, but also in incidental scenes, such as an interview at Lo's employer "Smashbox".
Heidi has undergone several cosmetic operations at the same time and visits her parents, whom she see for the first time after the operation. Her mother in particular is shocked by Heidi's new look. Spencer shows a very irritable behavior, which is directed first against his and Heidi's sisters, but later also against other people like Brody. After these initial appearances in the season, Spencer and Heidi can no longer be seen, as Spencer is also said to have threatened a producer on the series. Other events reported by the media about the two, such as alleged affairs or divorce intentions, were no longer shown in the series. Neither were invited to the final show at the Roosevelt Hotel.
At the beginning of the season, the relationship between Kristin and Justin has already ended. That's why Kristin often meets with Brody. Although they want to meet on a friendly basis, tension builds when Brody meets with a woman named McKeala. Audrina also has a new boyfriend named Ryan Cabrera and runs into her old boyfriend Justin. Ultimately, Audrina separates from Ryan, but on a trip to Costa Rica makes it clear that she doesn't want to get together with Justin again.
In the final episode, Kristin gives a farewell party because she wants to leave Los Angeles to go to Europe. The last scene of this episode contains a farewell joke: It consists of a farewell scene between Brody and Kristin. The last shot suggests that the scene was not actually filmed on a large and busy street in front of the Hollywood Sign , but in front of a screen within a studio area, in which, as an exception, the camera is moved so that the screen and the film crew are visible.
Reviews
The Rolling Stone magazine called The Hills as an "addictive series in which actually ever happened."
"... a maddeningly addictive TV show in which nothing ever really happens."
Most reality TV shows would look cheap, but The Hills would not . The series looks more like a film, because of the use of digital cameras on tripods, the "elegant evening scenes" and the "dreamy view of Sunset Boulevard at dusk". This is thanks to the production manager Hisham Abed, who says he mimics the look of Michael Mann's films like Heat .
The audience would n't watch The Hills for the camerawork, of course, but to "escape". The plot, in which the lives of “privileged young women with friends with fancy cars” is shown, would have the effect of antidepressants .
The leading actress Lauren Conrad and her boss Kelly Cutrone also confirm this impression:
"You're watching it and thinking, 'These are really your biggest problems?' Most people in this economy are having to deal with things that are a little bit heavier than 'Oh, my God, should we go to Goa?' "
"It's funny - that people think that me, sitting hung over in my living room, talking to my roommate about hooking up with a guy, is considered important television."
In addition, the magazine notes that The Hills is a reality TV series, some of which also denied reality. Decisive events in reality, such as wars or the death of family members or even the fact that the actresses are stars of a reality TV series, are not mentioned.
The success of the series shows that it is no longer important to be popular, colorful or busy to become famous. One just has to be ready to lead private life in public.
"[...] the tectonic plates of pop culture have shifted. [...] It's no longer important to be loved, or colorful, or even employed, to be famous. [...] If you're not living your life in some public fashion [...] it doesn't count. "
The New Yorker sees The Hills as the current climax of a development: In previous reality shows, the participants could only have achieved short-term fame. After trying to capitalize on it, they went back to their normal lives. In the current reality shows, the broadcasters try to make capital themselves and use their candidates or participants in other shows. The reality shown in this way is not a mirror of reality, but rather an alternative universe, where the participants themselves become stars, like real actors.
"This world is no longer any kind of mirror image of the real world [...] it's been pinched off to form an alternate universe [...] The casts of these series often become stars just the way real actors do"
Furthermore, none of the characters on the show said anything interesting or funny, nor does the show give any impression of what it means to live as a young person in Los Angeles. Most people would probably watch to find out why they are watching. Young people would probably like to watch because they are still the “center of attention” after they have left home. Even though the characters are over 20, she would still look like teenagers. The Hills would portray adulthood as very simple.
"These characters are now in their twenties, but they still smell like Teen Spirit . Perhaps it's this simplicity that appeals to people; "The Hills" makes adulthood seem like a piece of cake. "
The Wall Street Journal also sees Lauren Conrad as the "next generation of self-marketers" who are only famous for their willingness to let cameras in their private lives. Conrad's real intention, however, is to build a merchandising empire. The role model is predecessors like Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen , who were able to transfer their celebrity on television into a multi-million conglomerate.
Fox News asks whether MTV really expects viewers to be spellbound in front of the TV when they already know the most interesting things from the media or from advertising. Concerning Whitney Port's own series "The City", Fox News writes:
"Lauren might be happy to forget she heard anything about" The City "but we're not. WE know. We know she's leaving, we know she knows she's leaving, we know Lauren knows she's leaving and we know the producers know we know… enough already. "
It is time MTV realized that they were no longer showing the lives of any 20-year-old girls, but of celebrities trying to keep their popularity going for as long as possible.
It would have been a lot more interesting to see Whitney Port getting her own show on MTV and what Lauren Conrad's real response was to it, rather than showing Whitney talking to Kelly Cutrone about a new job in New York. Instead of depicting Heidi Montag's steps in the music industry, MTV shows how she is talking to Spencer about a "secret" wedding that no one is allowed to find out about and this in front of the cameras.
useful information
Some of the paparazzi-made recordings on YouTube reveal details that are not seen on the series, as well as facts that reviews say should be shown on the series since the series is a reality TV series.
- Video 1: Lauren Conrad is followed by paparazzi as she gets into her Audi R8 . The car was given to her for advertising purposes.
- Video 2: The video shows a scene from the 13th episode of the fourth season in which Audrina moves out of the common house. Lauren and Audrina's cars are parked in front of the house. Audrina's Mercedes SL is not seen in the series . Audrina worked as a receptionist at Epic Records on the series.
- Video 3: Spencer and Heidi arrive at Los Angeles Airport and are surrounded by paparazzi for seven minutes. This aspect of her life is never seen in the series.
Web links
- The Hills on MTV
- The Hills in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- The Hills Universe: Who's Who on TV's Hottest Show ( Memento from October 8, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
- Detailed episode summaries from season 3
Individual evidence
- ↑ latimes.com Kristin Cavallari Replacing Lauren Conrad on The Hills
- ↑ people.com Kristin Cavallari to Replace Lauren Conrad on The Hills ( Memento of the original from May 17, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b c d nytimes.com An MTV Coming of Age That Went Far on Charm
- ↑ nytimes.com Surf's Up! Teenage hormones are high
- ↑ a b nytimes.com 'The Hills,' a Follow-Up to 'Laguna Beach,' Makes Its Premiere on MTV
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i rollingstone.com: Are They For Real? ( Memento of December 30, 2008 in the Internet Archive ), article from issue 1052 [1]
- ↑ nytimes.com That Narrator in the Third Season of 'Laguna Beach' Is, Like, So Lame
- ^ A b c New York Magazine Run for the Hills
- ↑ a b monstersandcritics.com: "The Hills" a cash cow for MTV
- ↑ hollyscoop.com: America Loves 'The Hills' Drama ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as broken. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ nytimes.com: 'The Hills' Draws 4.8 Million On TV, 1.8 Million Online
- ↑ tvbythenumbers.com Nielsen's Most Watched Shows (Cable Networks)
- ^ A b c d The Wall Street Journal: Selling Lauren Conrad
- ↑ a b c d e latimes.com: 'The Hills' has eyes
- ↑ a b nytimes.com Farewell to 'The Hills,' With a Wink and a Nod
- ↑ New York Magazine Overview of The Hills Articles
- ↑ thehollywoodgossip.com: Overview of The Hills Articles
- ↑ ew.com: Overview of The Hills Articles
- ↑ US Magazine EXCLUSIVE: Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt Elope
- ↑ thehollywoodgossip.com The Hills Previews: Speidi Reflects on Wedding, Whitney Bolts For The City
- ↑ nydailynews.com: Get real! Despite new vows, Heidi Montag, Spencer Pratt nuptials still in question on 'The Hills'
- ↑ New York Post Heartwarming 'Hills' Full of Surprises ( Memento of the original from December 26, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ International Business Times 'The Hills': Pratts explains why he decided not to marry Montag on big finale
- ↑ people.com The Hills Finale: The Speidi Marriage That Wasn't ( Memento of the original from December 26, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ latimes.com: 'The Hills' looks to have peaked on MTV - no cliffhanger here
- ↑ thehollywoodgossip.com Heidi Montag Admits Spreading Lauren Conrad Sex Tape Rumors, Then Claims Blog Was Hacked
- ↑ nytimes.com It's Lauren vs. Heidi in Battle of the Ex-BFFs
- ↑ people.com Caught in the Act!
- ↑ a b c d e f ew.com: 'The Hills': They Shoot, Lauren Conrad Scores
- ^ Nytimes.com McCain's TV Preferences Emerge: Office Farce, Not Soap
- ↑ latimes.com 'The Hills' series finale: brilliant or lame?
- ↑ people.com The Hills Gets - Surprise! - a Hollywood Ending ( Memento of the original from July 16, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Associated Press. 'The Hills' fans lament end of MTV reality series
- ↑ a b nymag.com The Hills Series Finale Recap: No Reason for Us to Stay Here
- ↑ San Diego entertainer The Hills' big and fake final episode
- ↑ a b c ew.com: 'The Hills': How Much Is Set Up?
- ↑ realityblurred.com: Hills producer: “it is a little fake” because “we definitely schedule out what we want to cover”
- ↑ bestweekever.tv: REALITY VICTIMS UNIT: Meet Gavin, My Friend Who Went On A Date With LC From The Hills
- ↑ theinsider.com: Are They Really Worth This Much? ( Memento of the original from August 31, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ dose.ca Lauren Conrad Makes Big Bucks For Being A Drama Queen ( Memento of the original from September 4, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ thedailybeast.com Hills Salaries Exposed ( Memento of the original dated December 2, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b nymag.com Spencer and Heidi Scream All Over 'The Hills'
- ↑ ew.com 'The Hills' Are Alive
- ↑ Lauren Conrad's biography on people.com
- ↑ Lauren Conrad Cosmopolitan Magazine November 2008
- ↑ MillionLooks Lauren Conrad fashion line Spring 2009 ( Memento of the original from July 13, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Whitney Ports biography on people.com
- ↑ Heidi Montag's biography on people.com
- ↑ nymag.com: Test-drive: We Actually Try On Heidi Montag's Heidiwood
- ↑ jezebel.com OMG! Spencer Pratt Rapping On Heidi Montag's Single! WTF? ROTFL!
- ↑ thehollywoodgossip.com: Heidi Montag Drops "Higher," Sinks Lower
- ↑ nydailynews.com Dirty girl! Heidi Montag poses for Playboy covered in mud - but not nude
- ↑ nydailynews.com Spencer and Heidi Pratt return to 'I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!'
- ↑ Audrina Patridge's biography on people.com
- ↑ Audrina Patridge interview on askmen.com
- ↑ Audrina Patridge Biography
- ↑ Kristin Cavallari's biography on askmen.com ( Memento of the original from December 25, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Kristin Cavallari's biography on perfectpeople.net
- ↑ Spencer Pratt's biography on hollywood.com
- ↑ a b nydailynews.com 'The Hills' stars are 'afraid' of Spencer Pratt
- ↑ nydailynews.com Heidi Montag files for legal separation from husband Spencer Pratt, cites irreconcilable differences
- ↑ newyorker.com: Frenemy Territory
- ↑ Fox News Reality Check: Whitney Leaves 'The Hills' for 'The City,' and We're Not Far Behind
- ↑ YouTube video: Lauren Conrad gets into an Audi R8
- ↑ Lauren Conrad wants you to think this sweet ride is hers, but it isn't ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as broken. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ YouTube video: Excerpt from the 13th episode of the 4th season
- ↑ mtv.com Summary of the 13th episode of the 4th season
- ↑ YouTube video: Spencer and Heidi arriving at Los Angeles Airport
