The Hills
Encyclopedia
The Hills is a reality television
series which originally aired on MTV
from May 31, 2006 until July 13, 2010. The show uses a reality television
format, following the personal lives of several young adults living in Los Angeles, California
, but tends towards a narrative format more commonly found in scripted genres such as soap opera
s. The series originally followed the personal life of former Laguna Beach
star Lauren Conrad
and her friends' new lives in Los Angeles
. After five seasons, Conrad left the series and was replaced by another former Laguna Beach star, Kristin Cavallari
, beginning in the second half of season five. The sixth and final season debuted on April 27, 2010 with the final episode of the series premiering on July 13, 2010.
Entertainment Weekly
ranked The Hills 82nd on their list of "The 100 Best Shows of the Last 25 Years," stating that the series was a "New Classic."
. The series' four original starring members are Lauren Conrad
, Audrina Patridge
, Whitney Port
, and Heidi Montag
; Kristin Cavallari
, Stephanie Pratt
, and Lo Bosworth
subsequently become focal points following the departures of Port, Conrad, and Montag. Despite being billed and formatted as a reality series, scripting was used for production purposes.
After MTV
's Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County
became one of the network's highest-rated programs, producers wanted to continue the story of one of its more popular characters, Lauren Conrad
, as she moved to Los Angeles
. When Laguna Beach ended, the same producers followed Conrad as she left her home in Laguna
to move to Los Angeles
. For the first five seasons, The Hills followed the daily lives of Lauren and friends, documenting the drama that eventually ensues.
Lauren originally moves in with her friend Heidi Montag
, who she met while attending art school in San Francisco. Lauren also attends the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, and lands an internship with Teen Vogue
alongside new friend Whitney Port
. Soon after, the pair befriend their new neighbor, Audrina Patridge
. As the series progresses, Lauren and Heidi's friendship ends after rumors of a sex tape with Lauren and her ex-boyfriend Jason Wahler surface, a feud that will continue through each subsequent season, with Audrina providing a stabilizing influence in Lauren's life. Lauren suspects that Heidi's boyfriend, Spencer Pratt
, spread the rumor, whom Heidi stands by when Lauren confronts her. Lo Bosworth
, Lauren's best friend, moves in with Lauren and Audrina and becomes a factor in the distance between Lauren and Audrina during the third season. Audrina was in a rocky relationship with Justin Brescia, whom Lo jokingly titles "Justin-Bobby". Lauren befriends Brody Jenner
after their brief relationship, followed by a memorable trip to Paris
. Stephanie Pratt
, Spencer's sister, eventually becomes friends with Lauren after joining the cast in the third season, causing a rift between her relationship with Heidi and her brother. Whitney eventually moved to New York City
, and Heidi and Lauren seemed to come to common terms in the fourth season, though Lauren's suspicions still hung over them.
Upon conclusion of season four, rumors were widespread that Conrad wanted to leave the series. Despite this, the producers persuaded her to film ten more episodes at the start of season five in order to settle her relationships before her exit. As Heidi and Spencer decide to marry, Heidi wants Lauren to attend their wedding. After much debate, Lauren decides to attend the wedding and makes peace with Heidi in her final appearance on the show. The episode also marks the arrival of Lauren's high school rival from Laguna Beach
, Kristin Cavallari
, who catches the bouquet at the wedding. The season continues with Cavallari as the series' lead. She flirts with Justin at Heidi and Spencer's honeymoon party, which leads to a fight between her and Audrina. The enmity between the girls is a major plotline over the rest of the season. Also, after their wedding, Heidi wants to start a family while Spencer doesn't; this is also a major plotline.
The sixth and final season begins with Heidi's much publicized plastic surgery procedures, as she reveals herself to her family for the first time. Kristin, Audrina, Lo, and Stephanie spend the Super Bowl weekend in Miami, though Kristin's wild partying leads to rumors about possible drug use. Heidi and Spencer alienate their family and friends to the point where no one wants to be involved in their crazy antics. Meanwhile, Brody and Kristin begin flirting again, though he starts dating McKaela Line, who is friends with Kristin's old rival, Allie Lutz. McKaela befriends Lo, but immediately clashes with Kristin, with whom she and Allie had confrontations. Audrina dates singer Ryan Cabrera
. When the relationship ends, Justin tries to come back into Audrina's life, and the pair become friends. Stephanie finds it difficult to start dating after her DUI, but soon meets Josh, one of Brody's friends. Lo is happy with her boyfriend of one year, Scott, and moves in. In the final scene, it looks as if Brody is seeing Kristin off to Europe and looking on as she leaves. With the camera on Brody, the Hollywood Hills backdrop is pulled away and the camera pans back to reveal that the entire scene was filmed on a backlot. Kristin hadn't actually left for Europe and gets out of the car that hadn't really driven off to hug Brody, warranting the questioning of whether or not the show was real. Brody stated, "I think the show has always battled with what's real and what's fake, and this ending was perfect because you still don't know what was real, what was fake and it's kind of like L.A. in a sense." An alternative ending was filmed that included Lauren.
1 These are the only cast members to receive star billing in opening credits, and are credited simply by their first name.
released an article titled "Heidi Montag, Spencer Pratt nuptials questioned" which noted that Pratt and Montag acknowledged that their wedding in Mexico was "entirely symbolic." The article also noted that a Los Angeles Superior Court official confirmed that MTV had obtained permission to shoot in the Beverly Hills courtroom, but it was after office hours and a county court judge would not be present. The civil ceremony was inaccurately portrayed as well, because "if a judge does preside, it is typically in chambers during a break". The Associated Press also checked for marriage records, but found none filed by Pratt or Montag in Los Angeles County.
Audrina Patridge's official website biography states that she was cast in her role as a new friend for Lauren and Heidi, as she was approached by a producer to join the cast. During an appearance on Chelsea Lately
, Chelsea Handler
suggested that they improvised. Audrina stated, "If that's what you want to call it..." When pressed further, she replied, "We're put in situations where however we'd react and that's what comes up [on TV]." She did state that there were no scripts, and Handler joked that "if it is a reality show" that the cast has really good actors. Audrina laughed and said, "Thank you...It is a big compliment."
The apartment community that both Lauren and Heidi initially moved in together was labeled as Hillside Villas in West Hollywood, California in the show. In reality, the apartment complex they lived in was actually The Villas at The Palazzo East at Park La Brea on Third Street in Los Angeles. The neighborhood is known as Park La Brea. It is not in the City of West Hollywood, but it is close to the city boundary.
On a June 18, 2009 episode of The View, Lauren Conrad was asked how she felt about the apology she had received from Spencer Pratt involving the sex tape rumors. She responded "To be perfectly honest, I wasn't on the other line of that call...That was filmed and I wasn't on the other end...so I didn't know about it until--So, no, I never did get an apology."
In the August 2009 issue of the Dutch Cosmopolitan
extra light was shed on Lauren
's exit and her reunion with her friend and former co-star Heidi Montag
on the fifth season of The Hills. What wasn't published in the July issue of the American Cosmopolitan, was that there were actually more reasons for her to end her run on the show than had previously been revealed. She claimed that, over the course of the filming of The Hills, she felt like being on the show had become more of a job than a thing she loved doing, as she had in the past. She said that she felt like she was living in two separate worlds. Furthermore, Conrad's relationship with paparazzi was becoming increasingly difficult, an aspect of her life not seen on the show.
She also revealed that, during production on the fifth season, producers kept on coming up with ideas for her and Montag to reunite. Conrad revealed she no longer wished to fight on the show and was trying to put her friendship with Montag behind her. Producers did not allow for that to happen, to the point where Conrad felt producers were pushing her into directions she did not see as her own. She also revealed that during her surprise birthday party in the fifth season, upon seeing Montag, she actually left the room with producers having to calm her down before being able to continue filming. This was not aired.
Kristin Cavallari, when asked about joining the cast, stated "It’s work! And drama sells. I think that’s why they’re bringing me in, because I know what works." And later said: "Its a TV show, why not? You gotta make it fun!" Also in the interview, Kristin stated "I saw Lauren at the wedding, she was really sweet and gave me a big hug, and that's it", when on the show, it was portrayed differently.
In February 2011, Kristin Cavallari told Access Hollywood
that the cast would follow a "schedule" of events to be shot that day. "We only filmed The Hills three days a week, and we did three different scenes each day and a change of clothes to film a specific scene," she said. "They were pushing it as far as they could go without an actual script… They give you a schedule like, ‘You have lunch with Heidi [Montag] at 3 to talk about the party coming up' or whatever the situation may be.”
. Reruns of the show also air on TV Guide Network.
announced that it would be the final season. Filming wrapped on July 2, 2010 and aired its final episode on July 13.
Despite much speculation from the cast as well as Adam DiVello concerning Lauren Conrad's possible return, the former series star confirmed she would not appear in any of season six episodes or the series finale, however it was confirmed that Lauren Conrad would be featured on a live special following the finale.
Brody later revealed that a couple different endings were filmed for the show, including one with Lauren Conrad
. Of the scene, Brody said, "I [would] come back home, and basically Lauren's at my place [and I tell her about saying goodbye to a friend]. We filmed this whole lovey-dovey scene as if me and Lauren had been together this entire time." He stated he was happy with the chosen ending, however, describing it as "kind of like L.A. in a sense."
Two days after the series finale, Lo Bosworth
reassured fans on her website, insisting "it wasn't fake" and "our show's undeniable production value sometimes made the validity of it all questionable [...] but the relationships with those on the show are real." Kristin Cavallari
, however, stated that, "fans need to understand it's all entertainment" and "I would never put my close friends or a real relationship on a show." When asked about the matter, Brody Jenner
said, "what's real and what's fake, you don't know. [...] We left it [open]".
On May 17, 2011, almost a year after The Hills ended, Kristin revealed in an interview with Ryan Seacrest that her relationships with both Justin and Brody on the show had been fake, but that she had dated Brody, "like six years ago".
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
series which originally aired on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
from May 31, 2006 until July 13, 2010. The show uses a reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
format, following the personal lives of several young adults living in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, but tends towards a narrative format more commonly found in scripted genres such as soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
s. The series originally followed the personal life of former Laguna Beach
Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County
Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County, often referred to simply as Laguna Beach, is a reality television series which originally aired on MTV from September 28, 2004 until November 16, 2006. It documents the lives of several teenagers living in Laguna Beach, an affluent seaside community located in...
star Lauren Conrad
Lauren Conrad
Lauren Katherine Conrad is an American television personality, celebutante, and fashion designer. She came to prominence with her starring roles on the MTV reality series Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and its spin-off series, The Hills, which at one point followed her personal and...
and her friends' new lives in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. After five seasons, Conrad left the series and was replaced by another former Laguna Beach star, Kristin Cavallari
Kristin Cavallari
Kristin Elizabeth Cavallari is an American television personality and actress. She is best known for her starring roles on the former MTV reality television programs Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and its spin-off, The Hills.-Early life:Cavallari was born in Denver, Colorado, the second of...
, beginning in the second half of season five. The sixth and final season debuted on April 27, 2010 with the final episode of the series premiering on July 13, 2010.
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
ranked The Hills 82nd on their list of "The 100 Best Shows of the Last 25 Years," stating that the series was a "New Classic."
Overview
The Hills follows the lives of several women in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. The series' four original starring members are Lauren Conrad
Lauren Conrad
Lauren Katherine Conrad is an American television personality, celebutante, and fashion designer. She came to prominence with her starring roles on the MTV reality series Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and its spin-off series, The Hills, which at one point followed her personal and...
, Audrina Patridge
Audrina Patridge
Audrina Cathleen Patridge is an American reality television personality, actress, and model. She is known for being one of the four original primary cast members featured on the MTV reality series The Hills. She has also starred in the films Sorority Row and Into The Blue 2...
, Whitney Port
Whitney Port
Whitney Eve Port is an American television personality, clothing designer, and author. She is known for being one of the main cast members on the former MTV reality series The Hills...
, and Heidi Montag
Heidi Montag
Heidi Blair Pratt is an American media personality and singer. She came to prominence with her starring role on the MTV reality series The Hills from 2006 to 2010. Montag has also appeared on I'm a Celebrity.....
; Kristin Cavallari
Kristin Cavallari
Kristin Elizabeth Cavallari is an American television personality and actress. She is best known for her starring roles on the former MTV reality television programs Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and its spin-off, The Hills.-Early life:Cavallari was born in Denver, Colorado, the second of...
, Stephanie Pratt
Stephanie Pratt
Stephanie Lynn Pratt is an American reality television personality. She is known best for her role as a cast member on MTV's The Hills.-2007-2010: The Hills:...
, and Lo Bosworth
Lo Bosworth
Lauren Ogilvie "Lo" Bosworth , is an American television personality and author. She is best known for her appearances on the MTV reality series Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and its spin-off, The Hills.-Early life:...
subsequently become focal points following the departures of Port, Conrad, and Montag. Despite being billed and formatted as a reality series, scripting was used for production purposes.
After MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County
Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County
Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County, often referred to simply as Laguna Beach, is a reality television series which originally aired on MTV from September 28, 2004 until November 16, 2006. It documents the lives of several teenagers living in Laguna Beach, an affluent seaside community located in...
became one of the network's highest-rated programs, producers wanted to continue the story of one of its more popular characters, Lauren Conrad
Lauren Conrad
Lauren Katherine Conrad is an American television personality, celebutante, and fashion designer. She came to prominence with her starring roles on the MTV reality series Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and its spin-off series, The Hills, which at one point followed her personal and...
, as she moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. When Laguna Beach ended, the same producers followed Conrad as she left her home in Laguna
Laguna Beach, California
Laguna Beach is a seaside resort city and artist community located in southern Orange County, California, United States, approximately southwest of the county seat of Santa Ana...
to move to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. For the first five seasons, The Hills followed the daily lives of Lauren and friends, documenting the drama that eventually ensues.
Lauren originally moves in with her friend Heidi Montag
Heidi Montag
Heidi Blair Pratt is an American media personality and singer. She came to prominence with her starring role on the MTV reality series The Hills from 2006 to 2010. Montag has also appeared on I'm a Celebrity.....
, who she met while attending art school in San Francisco. Lauren also attends the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, and lands an internship with Teen Vogue
Teen Vogue
Teen Vogue magazine began as a version of Vogue magazine for teenage girls. This US magazine focuses on fashion and celebrities and offers information about the latest entertainment and feature stories on current issues and events.- Description :...
alongside new friend Whitney Port
Whitney Port
Whitney Eve Port is an American television personality, clothing designer, and author. She is known for being one of the main cast members on the former MTV reality series The Hills...
. Soon after, the pair befriend their new neighbor, Audrina Patridge
Audrina Patridge
Audrina Cathleen Patridge is an American reality television personality, actress, and model. She is known for being one of the four original primary cast members featured on the MTV reality series The Hills. She has also starred in the films Sorority Row and Into The Blue 2...
. As the series progresses, Lauren and Heidi's friendship ends after rumors of a sex tape with Lauren and her ex-boyfriend Jason Wahler surface, a feud that will continue through each subsequent season, with Audrina providing a stabilizing influence in Lauren's life. Lauren suspects that Heidi's boyfriend, Spencer Pratt
Spencer Pratt
Spencer William Pratt is a former American television personality known for his role on MTV's The Hills, along with his wife Heidi Montag. He is the older brother of Stephanie Pratt, who also appears on The Hills....
, spread the rumor, whom Heidi stands by when Lauren confronts her. Lo Bosworth
Lo Bosworth
Lauren Ogilvie "Lo" Bosworth , is an American television personality and author. She is best known for her appearances on the MTV reality series Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and its spin-off, The Hills.-Early life:...
, Lauren's best friend, moves in with Lauren and Audrina and becomes a factor in the distance between Lauren and Audrina during the third season. Audrina was in a rocky relationship with Justin Brescia, whom Lo jokingly titles "Justin-Bobby". Lauren befriends Brody Jenner
Brody Jenner
Sam Brody Jenner is an American television personality. He is the son of Olympic decathlete Bruce Jenner and his former wife Linda Thompson.-Reality television:...
after their brief relationship, followed by a memorable trip to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Stephanie Pratt
Stephanie Pratt
Stephanie Lynn Pratt is an American reality television personality. She is known best for her role as a cast member on MTV's The Hills.-2007-2010: The Hills:...
, Spencer's sister, eventually becomes friends with Lauren after joining the cast in the third season, causing a rift between her relationship with Heidi and her brother. Whitney eventually moved to New York City
The City (MTV series)
The City is an MTV reality television series. The first spin-off of MTV's, The Hills, it follows one of the show's former cast members, Whitney Port, as she moves to New York City to work for fashion designer Diane von Fürstenberg. The program premiered on December 29, 2008 and concluded its first...
, and Heidi and Lauren seemed to come to common terms in the fourth season, though Lauren's suspicions still hung over them.
Upon conclusion of season four, rumors were widespread that Conrad wanted to leave the series. Despite this, the producers persuaded her to film ten more episodes at the start of season five in order to settle her relationships before her exit. As Heidi and Spencer decide to marry, Heidi wants Lauren to attend their wedding. After much debate, Lauren decides to attend the wedding and makes peace with Heidi in her final appearance on the show. The episode also marks the arrival of Lauren's high school rival from Laguna Beach
Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County
Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County, often referred to simply as Laguna Beach, is a reality television series which originally aired on MTV from September 28, 2004 until November 16, 2006. It documents the lives of several teenagers living in Laguna Beach, an affluent seaside community located in...
, Kristin Cavallari
Kristin Cavallari
Kristin Elizabeth Cavallari is an American television personality and actress. She is best known for her starring roles on the former MTV reality television programs Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and its spin-off, The Hills.-Early life:Cavallari was born in Denver, Colorado, the second of...
, who catches the bouquet at the wedding. The season continues with Cavallari as the series' lead. She flirts with Justin at Heidi and Spencer's honeymoon party, which leads to a fight between her and Audrina. The enmity between the girls is a major plotline over the rest of the season. Also, after their wedding, Heidi wants to start a family while Spencer doesn't; this is also a major plotline.
The sixth and final season begins with Heidi's much publicized plastic surgery procedures, as she reveals herself to her family for the first time. Kristin, Audrina, Lo, and Stephanie spend the Super Bowl weekend in Miami, though Kristin's wild partying leads to rumors about possible drug use. Heidi and Spencer alienate their family and friends to the point where no one wants to be involved in their crazy antics. Meanwhile, Brody and Kristin begin flirting again, though he starts dating McKaela Line, who is friends with Kristin's old rival, Allie Lutz. McKaela befriends Lo, but immediately clashes with Kristin, with whom she and Allie had confrontations. Audrina dates singer Ryan Cabrera
Ryan Cabrera
Ryan Frank Cabrera is an American pop rock musician. In 2004, Cabrera debuted with his single "On the Way Down", a top ten hit in the U.S., and album Take It All Away...
. When the relationship ends, Justin tries to come back into Audrina's life, and the pair become friends. Stephanie finds it difficult to start dating after her DUI, but soon meets Josh, one of Brody's friends. Lo is happy with her boyfriend of one year, Scott, and moves in. In the final scene, it looks as if Brody is seeing Kristin off to Europe and looking on as she leaves. With the camera on Brody, the Hollywood Hills backdrop is pulled away and the camera pans back to reveal that the entire scene was filmed on a backlot. Kristin hadn't actually left for Europe and gets out of the car that hadn't really driven off to hug Brody, warranting the questioning of whether or not the show was real. Brody stated, "I think the show has always battled with what's real and what's fake, and this ending was perfect because you still don't know what was real, what was fake and it's kind of like L.A. in a sense." An alternative ending was filmed that included Lauren.
Cast
- This is the main cast for all seasons according to MTV. For a full list of current and former cast members of The Hills, see the list of cast members.
| Cast member | Years credited | Season(s) | Title(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lauren Conrad Lauren Conrad Lauren Katherine Conrad is an American television personality, celebutante, and fashion designer. She came to prominence with her starring roles on the MTV reality series Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and its spin-off series, The Hills, which at one point followed her personal and... 1 |
2006–2009 | 1-5 | Lead role | Lauren is the original narrator, moving to Los Angeles Los Ángeles Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants... after starring on Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County, often referred to simply as Laguna Beach, is a reality television series which originally aired on MTV from September 28, 2004 until November 16, 2006. It documents the lives of several teenagers living in Laguna Beach, an affluent seaside community located in... to pursue a fashion career. Lauren had an internship with Teen Vogue Teen Vogue Teen Vogue magazine began as a version of Vogue magazine for teenage girls. This US magazine focuses on fashion and celebrities and offers information about the latest entertainment and feature stories on current issues and events.- Description :... before working at People's Revolution Kelly Cutrone Kelly Cutrone is a fashion publicist and the founder of the public relations, branding and marketing firm People's Revolution. Kelly now stars in her own reality drama Kell on Earth... . Until the end of the second season, she was housemates with Heidi. She left the series after the first half of the fifth season. |
| Audrina Patridge Audrina Patridge Audrina Cathleen Patridge is an American reality television personality, actress, and model. She is known for being one of the four original primary cast members featured on the MTV reality series The Hills. She has also starred in the films Sorority Row and Into The Blue 2... 1 |
2006–2010 | 1-6 | Lead role | Audrina is Heidi's friend and later became Lauren's friend and housemate. As the only cast member to star throughout the entire series, Audrina has appeared in more episodes than any other member. |
| Whitney Port Whitney Port Whitney Eve Port is an American television personality, clothing designer, and author. She is known for being one of the main cast members on the former MTV reality series The Hills... 1 |
2006–2008 | 1-4 | Lead role | Whitney is Lauren's co-worker and friend. In the first episode, she was credited as "Teen Vogue intern," and was then credited as a lead role. After leaving the series in the fourth season, she moved to New York City New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and... and starred in now-canceled spin-off series, The City The City (MTV series) The City is an MTV reality television series. The first spin-off of MTV's, The Hills, it follows one of the show's former cast members, Whitney Port, as she moves to New York City to work for fashion designer Diane von Fürstenberg. The program premiered on December 29, 2008 and concluded its first... . |
| Heidi Montag Heidi Montag Heidi Blair Pratt is an American media personality and singer. She came to prominence with her starring role on the MTV reality series The Hills from 2006 to 2010. Montag has also appeared on I'm a Celebrity..... 1 |
2006–2010 | 1-6 | Lead role | Heidi is Spencer's wife and friends with Kristin and Audrina. Until the end of the second season, she was Lauren's best friend and housemate. She left the series after the fourth episode of the sixth season, but was still credited as a main cast member for the remainder of the season. |
| Kristin Cavallari Kristin Cavallari Kristin Elizabeth Cavallari is an American television personality and actress. She is best known for her starring roles on the former MTV reality television programs Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and its spin-off, The Hills.-Early life:Cavallari was born in Denver, Colorado, the second of... 1 |
2009–2010 | 5-6 | Lead role | Kristin is the replacement narrator after Lauren left the series. She moved to Los Angeles Los Ángeles Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants... after starring on Laguna Beach. She made for first appearance during Heidi and Spencer's wedding in the first half of the fifth season and was credited as a main cast member from the second half onwards. |
| Lo Bosworth Lo Bosworth Lauren Ogilvie "Lo" Bosworth , is an American television personality and author. She is best known for her appearances on the MTV reality series Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and its spin-off, The Hills.-Early life:... 1 |
2007–2010 | 2-6 | Lead role | Lo was a supporting role from the second through fifth seasons. She was originally credited as "Lauren's friend" until Lauren's departure. She was then credited "Audrina's friend" before being elevated to a lead role in the sixth season. |
| Stephanie Pratt Stephanie Pratt Stephanie Lynn Pratt is an American reality television personality. She is known best for her role as a cast member on MTV's The Hills.-2007-2010: The Hills:... 1 |
2007–2010 | 3-6 | Lead role | Stephanie was a supporting role in the third through fifth seasons. She is Spencer's sister and was credited as such. She is friends with Lauren and was elevated to a lead role in the sixth season following Heidi's departure. |
| Brody Jenner Brody Jenner Sam Brody Jenner is an American television personality. He is the son of Olympic decathlete Bruce Jenner and his former wife Linda Thompson.-Reality television:... |
2007–2010 | 2-6 | Supporting | Brody was originally credited as "Spencer's friend," then was credited as "Lauren's friend." When Lauren left the series, he became "Kristin's ex-boyfriend." |
| Frankie Delgado | 2007–2010 | 2-6 | Supporting | Frankie was originally credited as "Spencer's Friend", then was credited as "Lauren's friend." After Lauren left the series, he became "Brody's friend." |
| Spencer Pratt Spencer Pratt Spencer William Pratt is a former American television personality known for his role on MTV's The Hills, along with his wife Heidi Montag. He is the older brother of Stephanie Pratt, who also appears on The Hills.... |
2006–2010 | 2-6 | Supporting | Spencer is Heidi's husband. |
| Justin Brescia | 2007–2010 | 3-6 | Supporting | Justin is Audrina's on-again off-again boyfriend, and has been credited as "Audrina's boyfriend" and "Audrina's ex-boyfriend." He is commonly called "Justin-Bobby". In the fifth season, he and Kristin had a brief love interest. |
| Holly Montag Holly Montag Holly Montag is an American television personality, comedian, model, and aspiring actress. She is best known for being the sister of Heidi Montag, a main cast member on the MTV reality series The Hills, her recurring role on the series, and her appearance on I'm a Celebrity…Get Me Out of... |
2007–2010 | 4-6 | Supporting | Holly is Heidi's sister, and is credited as such. |
| Stacie Hall | 2009–2010 | 5-6 | Supporting | Stacy was credited as "Bartender" when working at The Dime and "The Bartender" outside of the bar. She was later credited as "Kristin's friend." |
1 These are the only cast members to receive star billing in opening credits, and are credited simply by their first name.
Ratings
The Hills premiered the same day as the Laguna Beach season two finale, resulting in roughly the same viewership between the programs. MTV's ratings were some of the highest for any cable network. There was a ratings dip after the season 2 finale as viewers reacted poorly to the developing story. Viewership remained relatively steady from that point on. Ratings for the season four premiere were down 9% among the 12-to-34 demographic (2.1 million) and down 5% among total viewers (3.5 million) in comparison to the show’s third season premiere, with the total season four average going down 25% from that of season three. The season five premiere back-to-back episodes averaged 3 million viewers, which is lower than the season four premiere. The finale of the season five's first half brought in 2.7 million viewers, slightly less than the season premiere yet still higher than the season four's finale of roughly 2.5 million viewers. Season five's second half had a 30% decline in ratings, premiering with 2.1 million viewers, nearly a million less than had seen the previous season's premiere. Since its premiere, the show's ratings increased a bit, with the second half's viewership averaging 2.5 million viewers per episode. The final season beat the season five, part two's premiere and equaled season five part one's finale at 2.7 million viewers.Spin-offs
- Whitney Port received her own spin-off from The Hills, named The CityThe City (MTV series)The City is an MTV reality television series. The first spin-off of MTV's, The Hills, it follows one of the show's former cast members, Whitney Port, as she moves to New York City to work for fashion designer Diane von Fürstenberg. The program premiered on December 29, 2008 and concluded its first...
. The series centers around Port as she moves to New York City to work for fashion designer Diane von FürstenbergDiane von FürstenbergDiane von Fürstenberg, formerly Princess Diane of Fürstenberg , is a Belgian-American fashion designer best known for her iconic wrap dress. She initially rose to prominence when she married into the German princely House of Fürstenberg, as the wife of Prince Egon of Fürstenberg...
. The series debuted December 29, 2008 on MTV. Its final episode aired on July 13, 2010, and it was announced by Port on October 25, 2010 that the series was cancelled. - Kelly Cutrone, PR fashion maven and mentor to Lauren Conrad and Whitney Port, had a huge presence on The Hills and The City, resulting in her own show, Kell on EarthKell on EarthKell on Earth is an American reality docudrama starring Kelly Cutrone, the founder of the public relations, branding and marketing firm People's Revolution. The series premiered on February 1, 2010 on the Bravo television network...
. It debuted on Bravo February 1, 2010. - Audrina PatridgeAudrina PatridgeAudrina Cathleen Patridge is an American reality television personality, actress, and model. She is known for being one of the four original primary cast members featured on the MTV reality series The Hills. She has also starred in the films Sorority Row and Into The Blue 2...
and her family star in Audrina, a VH1VH1VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
reality series that premiered on April 17, 2011. - Lauren ConradLauren ConradLauren Katherine Conrad is an American television personality, celebutante, and fashion designer. She came to prominence with her starring roles on the MTV reality series Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and its spin-off series, The Hills, which at one point followed her personal and...
was supposed to star in a documentary-style reality show following her life as a fashion designer. However, MTV later dropped the series.
Criticism
On December 17, 2008 the Associated PressAssociated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
released an article titled "Heidi Montag, Spencer Pratt nuptials questioned" which noted that Pratt and Montag acknowledged that their wedding in Mexico was "entirely symbolic." The article also noted that a Los Angeles Superior Court official confirmed that MTV had obtained permission to shoot in the Beverly Hills courtroom, but it was after office hours and a county court judge would not be present. The civil ceremony was inaccurately portrayed as well, because "if a judge does preside, it is typically in chambers during a break". The Associated Press also checked for marriage records, but found none filed by Pratt or Montag in Los Angeles County.
Audrina Patridge's official website biography states that she was cast in her role as a new friend for Lauren and Heidi, as she was approached by a producer to join the cast. During an appearance on Chelsea Lately
Chelsea Lately
Chelsea Lately is an American late night comedy talk show hosted by comedian Chelsea Handler on E!. The show debuted on July 16, 2007, and is produced by Handler's production company, Borderline Amazing Productions...
, Chelsea Handler
Chelsea Handler
Chelsea Joy Handler is an American stand-up comedian, humorist, television host, actress, model and best-selling author. She currently hosts a late-night talk show titled, Chelsea Lately on the E! Cable Television Network. In 2009 she won a Bravo A-List Award...
suggested that they improvised. Audrina stated, "If that's what you want to call it..." When pressed further, she replied, "We're put in situations where however we'd react and that's what comes up [on TV]." She did state that there were no scripts, and Handler joked that "if it is a reality show" that the cast has really good actors. Audrina laughed and said, "Thank you...It is a big compliment."
The apartment community that both Lauren and Heidi initially moved in together was labeled as Hillside Villas in West Hollywood, California in the show. In reality, the apartment complex they lived in was actually The Villas at The Palazzo East at Park La Brea on Third Street in Los Angeles. The neighborhood is known as Park La Brea. It is not in the City of West Hollywood, but it is close to the city boundary.
On a June 18, 2009 episode of The View, Lauren Conrad was asked how she felt about the apology she had received from Spencer Pratt involving the sex tape rumors. She responded "To be perfectly honest, I wasn't on the other line of that call...That was filmed and I wasn't on the other end...so I didn't know about it until--So, no, I never did get an apology."
In the August 2009 issue of the Dutch Cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan (magazine)
Cosmopolitan is an international magazine for women. It was first published in 1886 in the United States as a family magazine, was later transformed into a literary magazine and eventually became a women's magazine in the late 1960s...
extra light was shed on Lauren
Lauren Conrad
Lauren Katherine Conrad is an American television personality, celebutante, and fashion designer. She came to prominence with her starring roles on the MTV reality series Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and its spin-off series, The Hills, which at one point followed her personal and...
's exit and her reunion with her friend and former co-star Heidi Montag
Heidi Montag
Heidi Blair Pratt is an American media personality and singer. She came to prominence with her starring role on the MTV reality series The Hills from 2006 to 2010. Montag has also appeared on I'm a Celebrity.....
on the fifth season of The Hills. What wasn't published in the July issue of the American Cosmopolitan, was that there were actually more reasons for her to end her run on the show than had previously been revealed. She claimed that, over the course of the filming of The Hills, she felt like being on the show had become more of a job than a thing she loved doing, as she had in the past. She said that she felt like she was living in two separate worlds. Furthermore, Conrad's relationship with paparazzi was becoming increasingly difficult, an aspect of her life not seen on the show.
She also revealed that, during production on the fifth season, producers kept on coming up with ideas for her and Montag to reunite. Conrad revealed she no longer wished to fight on the show and was trying to put her friendship with Montag behind her. Producers did not allow for that to happen, to the point where Conrad felt producers were pushing her into directions she did not see as her own. She also revealed that during her surprise birthday party in the fifth season, upon seeing Montag, she actually left the room with producers having to calm her down before being able to continue filming. This was not aired.
Kristin Cavallari, when asked about joining the cast, stated "It’s work! And drama sells. I think that’s why they’re bringing me in, because I know what works." And later said: "Its a TV show, why not? You gotta make it fun!" Also in the interview, Kristin stated "I saw Lauren at the wedding, she was really sweet and gave me a big hug, and that's it", when on the show, it was portrayed differently.
In February 2011, Kristin Cavallari told Access Hollywood
Access Hollywood
Access Hollywood is a weekday television entertainment news program covering events and celebrities in the entertainment industry. It was created by former Entertainment Tonight executive producer Jim Van Messel, and is currently directed by Robert Silverstein. In previous years, Doug Dougherty and...
that the cast would follow a "schedule" of events to be shot that day. "We only filmed The Hills three days a week, and we did three different scenes each day and a change of clothes to film a specific scene," she said. "They were pushing it as far as they could go without an actual script… They give you a schedule like, ‘You have lunch with Heidi [Montag] at 3 to talk about the party coming up' or whatever the situation may be.”
Syndication
The Hills premiered in syndication on fall 2009 alongside parent series Laguna Beach: The Real Orange CountyLaguna Beach: The Real Orange County
Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County, often referred to simply as Laguna Beach, is a reality television series which originally aired on MTV from September 28, 2004 until November 16, 2006. It documents the lives of several teenagers living in Laguna Beach, an affluent seaside community located in...
. Reruns of the show also air on TV Guide Network.
Series finale
The series' sixth season was announced on December 1, 2009 during The Hills Aftershow. It began filming on January 13, 2010 and debuted on April 27, 2010. On March 25, 2010 The Hills producer and creator Adam DiVelloAdam Divello
Adam DiVello is an American television producer. He was a senior production and development executive at MTV, until he left the network in 2007 to form his own company, Done and Done Productions. DiVello created MTV's reality television series, The Hills in 2006. Done and Done Productions currently...
announced that it would be the final season. Filming wrapped on July 2, 2010 and aired its final episode on July 13.
Despite much speculation from the cast as well as Adam DiVello concerning Lauren Conrad's possible return, the former series star confirmed she would not appear in any of season six episodes or the series finale, however it was confirmed that Lauren Conrad would be featured on a live special following the finale.
Final scene
In the series' final scene, Brody sees Kristin off to Europe and looks on as she rides away. Flashbacks to the beginning of the show are shown, and the camera focuses on Brody once again before panning out, revealing the scene was being filmed on an outside set at a Hollywood film studio, confronting the common question posed by critics on whether certain elements of the show, or the entire show itself, were real, fake, or a combination of the two.Brody later revealed that a couple different endings were filmed for the show, including one with Lauren Conrad
Lauren Conrad
Lauren Katherine Conrad is an American television personality, celebutante, and fashion designer. She came to prominence with her starring roles on the MTV reality series Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and its spin-off series, The Hills, which at one point followed her personal and...
. Of the scene, Brody said, "I [would] come back home, and basically Lauren's at my place [and I tell her about saying goodbye to a friend]. We filmed this whole lovey-dovey scene as if me and Lauren had been together this entire time." He stated he was happy with the chosen ending, however, describing it as "kind of like L.A. in a sense."
Two days after the series finale, Lo Bosworth
Lo Bosworth
Lauren Ogilvie "Lo" Bosworth , is an American television personality and author. She is best known for her appearances on the MTV reality series Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and its spin-off, The Hills.-Early life:...
reassured fans on her website, insisting "it wasn't fake" and "our show's undeniable production value sometimes made the validity of it all questionable [...] but the relationships with those on the show are real." Kristin Cavallari
Kristin Cavallari
Kristin Elizabeth Cavallari is an American television personality and actress. She is best known for her starring roles on the former MTV reality television programs Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and its spin-off, The Hills.-Early life:Cavallari was born in Denver, Colorado, the second of...
, however, stated that, "fans need to understand it's all entertainment" and "I would never put my close friends or a real relationship on a show." When asked about the matter, Brody Jenner
Brody Jenner
Sam Brody Jenner is an American television personality. He is the son of Olympic decathlete Bruce Jenner and his former wife Linda Thompson.-Reality television:...
said, "what's real and what's fake, you don't know. [...] We left it [open]".
On May 17, 2011, almost a year after The Hills ended, Kristin revealed in an interview with Ryan Seacrest that her relationships with both Justin and Brody on the show had been fake, but that she had dated Brody, "like six years ago".
Aftershow
After the final episode of The Hills and the season finale of The City, a live after show, The Hills Live: A Hollywood Ending, aired to celebrate the finale. The cast members that were present at the event:- Lauren Conrad
- Audrina Patridge
- Whitney Port
- Kristin Cavallari
- Lo Bosworth
- Stephanie Pratt
- Kelly Cutrone
- Justin Brescia
- Brody Jenner
- Holly Montag
- Stacie Hall
- Frankie Delgado
- Charlie Smith
- Taylor Mosher
DVD releases
| Season | Date released | # of episodes | # of discs | Special features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Complete 1st Season | February 13, 2007 | 10 | 3 | Deleted scenes, interviews |
| The Complete 2nd Season | August 7, 2007 | 12 | 3 | Deleted scenes, interviews |
| The Complete 3rd Season | July 29, 2008 | 28 | 4 | Deleted scenes, interviews |
| The Complete 4th Season | March 3, 2009 | 20 | 3 | Deleted scenes, interviews |
| The Complete 5th Season | (Part 1) October 6, 2009 (Part 2) April 27, 2010 |
10 10 |
2 2 |
Deleted scenes, interviews |
| The Complete Final Season | September 21, 2010 | 12 | 3 | Featurette |
See also
- Baldwin Hills (TV series)Baldwin Hills (TV series)Baldwin Hills is an American reality television series featuring African-American teenagers from the Baldwin Hills district in Los Angeles, California. The series aired on BET from July 2007 to March 2009.- Overview :...
- Fade StreetFade StreetFade Street is a Reality television show produced by and shown on RTÉ 2 in Ireland. The format is loosely based on the style of American reality TV shows such as The Hills and The City. It follows the personal lives of several Dubliners aged 20 to 29...
- Freshwater BlueFreshwater BlueFreshwater Blue is an Australian reality-drama series created by Toby Yoshimura and Ben Alcott for MTV Australia. The series follows the lives of twelve friends who have completed their secondary education and face the challenges of friendship and relationship issues as well as becoming young...
- The Only Way Is EssexThe Only Way Is EssexThe Only Way Is Essex, is a British BAFTA award-winning semi-reality show based in Essex, England. It shows "real people in modified situations, saying unscripted lines but in a structured way."...