Keep Up with the Kardashians changed reality TV in many ways. In the words of Barbara Walter, the KarJenner sisters "don't have any – forgive me – any talent," yet Kim Kardashian is now a billionaire while the "poorest" in the family, Kendall Jenner is worth at least $45 million. Though their momager, Kris Jenner is frequently credited for the clan's fame and success, it's still KUWTK co-creator, Ryan Seacrest who gave them the big break. Thanks to his love for MTV's The Osbournes, the Kardashians got their own reality series. Here's how it all started.
'Keeping Up With The Kardashians' Was Inspired By 'The Osbournes'
In a recent interview with Haute Living, Seacrest revealed that he created KUWTK because he wanted to replicate the success of The Osbournes. "I loved watching The Osbournes, which was really the first show of this [reality] genre. I started thinking about what another show could be like or who another show could be about, which is how [The Kardashians] started," he recalled. "We went to some casting directors in L.A. and said, 'We're interested in meeting families who want to be on a series or are interested in being in the world of television.' The Kardashians were interested."
He then sent a cameraman to film the family during a Sunday barbecue. "We got linked up through a casting director. I had met the girls before, but I didn't know the family well," Seacrest said. "So I said to a guy in my office, 'Why don't you buy a video camera and go out to their house on a Sunday when they're having a family barbeque, shoot it, and then we’ll watch it and see what we think.'
"I remember perfectly: he called me from their house Sunday afternoon and said, 'It’s absolutely golden; you're going to die when you see this tape,'" he continued. "'They're so funny, they're so fun, there is so much love in this family and they're so chaotic—they throw each other in the pool!' We watched it and rushed the tape to E! immediately, and that was the beginning."
What Ryan Seacrest Feels About The Kardashians Moving To Hulu
Seacrest admires the Kardashians' decision to sign a multi-year contract with Hulu for their new show, The Kardashians. He even thinks they could do more on the streaming platform. "I think they have a lot of ideas and [will do] a lot of things that they may have not had a chance to do with Keeping Up with the Kardashians, because it was such a strong franchise and people wanted what they saw from the family. And that's what they got for 20 seasons," he told People.
"So I have a feeling they have a stack of ideas," he continued. "My guess would be they want to evolve a little bit from the show that everybody has seen and do something differently. I'm sure it will definitely pique people's interest, but I think it remains to be seen what exactly they will do. He also told Haute Living that he admires Kris' continuous hustle. "I admire Kris, because she has done an amazing job at taking what was just a television show and building it into a massive empire for the family," he said.
Kris previously admitted that doing reality TV was initially a solution to their family's past financial issues. "My girlfriend Kathie Lee Gifford used to always tell me, 'You're really our reality show. People don't even know what's happening here,'" said the matriarch. "And that was when the big kids were babies. It's always been something that people were throwing around. And then when Deena [Katz, casting director] came over, I think a light bulb just went off for both of us."
Why The Kardashians Moved To Hulu
The answer is simple — money. During an interview with Variety, Kris said: "Well, money always matters. I think that anybody would be foolish to say that money doesn't matter anymore." Khloé Kardashian also admitted that money wasa huge factor in their deal with Hulu. "It definitely played a factor because we give so much of our personal lives up for entertainment," she explained. "We always have our private family conversations, and we're pretty brutal, me and my sisters, with what we will settle for or not settle for. But not all money is good money. It has to be a good fit, and Hulu was just the perfect fit for us."
Walt Disney Television's chairman of entertainment, Dana Walden also said that Hulu's offer certainly wasn't cheap. "We stepped up to a great deal that they very much deserve," she shared. "Who would you want more for your unscripted slate than the Kardashians? They perfectly symbolize our strategy, which is taking big shots, but the right shots, and betting on incredible talent and best-in-class opportunities in each genre." According to Khloé, Kris also "fights like a pitbull" when it comes to these negotiations. But the Good American founder clarified that they're all paid the same amount. "We're all equals," she said.
