Out with the old and in with the new. The Kardashians ended their twentieth season of Keeping up with the Kardashians last June. After fourteen years, the family was ready to close this chapter and move on to bigger things. The Kardashians, the family’s new and highly anticipated show, premiered this April exclusively on Hulu.
What was the reason behind switching networks? According to the family, they wanted to be as tech forward and current as possible. This took the form of switching from cable television to a streaming platform. Although the family had many streaming platforms in which they could broadcast their show after they left E! Entertainment, Hulu was the perfect fit for The Kardashians. Hulu releases episodes much faster and closer to the date that they were filmed compared to cable TV. This means that old drama and news will no longer be rehashed months after it first occurred. The Kardashians realized that cable’s celebrity reality TV show days were over and that their audience cares more about social media than cable television. With E!, episodes were shorter and more documentary-style. The new show will be more intimate and feature the siblings individually, rather than in big groups. Hulu is also setting filming boundaries for the family that E! did not provide.
Loyal KUWTK fans who were devastated by the show’s cancellation were obviously excited for some new Kardashian drama. Kourtney’s relationship status? Kim and Ye’s divorce? Kylie’s new baby? Khloé and Tristan? If you are wondering about it, The Kardashians is going to cover it all. A teaser for the show promised that “all the walls will be shattered,” an enticing hook.
With a few episodes already released, fans and critics are forming their opinions and sharing them with the public. While many are just glad to have their favorite celebrity drama back, even more are disappointed with the similarities between the two shows. Aside from switching networks, The Kardashians is not much different from KUWTK. While it was said to be refined and stylized, The Kardashians’ underwhelmed fans expected something different. Yes, there are minor differences with the videography, content, and characters, but the overall feel of the show is very familiar. So far, it lacks any shocks or surprises that have not already been seen in the past fourteen years.
However, the show does promise to focus more on the working lives of the family and include never-before talked about revelations. Hopefully, these small details and improvements are included in the rest of the season. Hulu has already announced the launch of two seasons with forty episodes in total. The Kardashians are a family famous for being famous, so regardless of what you may think about their new show, they are not going away any time soon.
