The Kardashians review: Tonally different, but we'll still Keep Up
There's a fresh start for the Kardashians, but not a lot has changed.
The most talked about family in the world are back: yes, the Kardashians have returned, albeit with a slight rebrand.
When Keeping Up with the Kardashians ended back in June 2021, fans of the iconic family were simply desperate for more. Thankfully, we haven't had to wait for too long, with a new series on Disney Plus, catchily called, erm, The Kardashians.
From the opening of the first episode, this is a noticeably different show tonally. The latter years of KUWTK were dominated by the influence of Kanye West, with his music and thematic influence all over the old series, but now that's all changed. Where we might have opened with a new track from Donda, this time we open with a pop track from Silk Sonic (777).
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Gone as well is the grainy, home-video footage. This is slicker, and has taken inspiration from rival reality shows. When KUWTK paved the way for reality TV, The Kardashians has learned from it - and that's not a bad thing for this new era for the family who are trying to separate themselves from their past and step out on their own (read: away from Kanye).
The family are more relaxed this time around. Sure, there's drama in their life but it doesn't feel like a ticking time bomb is about to go off constantly - it's chilled. Gone are the days of the sisters fighting, and here's familial love and support. It's echoing back to the early seasons of KUWTK where the family really only had each other, not fame.
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The editing is wittier, too, with the confessionals being cut in at smarter moments. For the first time, the family is saying what they really think. When Scott and Khloe talk about moving on from Kourt, Khloe freely admits he still loves her, saying what we're all thinking.
The team behind it now have some serious TV credentials - between them, they have been involved in The Late Late Show with James Corden, Carpool Karaoke, An Audience with Adele, Saturday Night Takeaway and Million Dollar Listing to name but a few. This team know how to create big TV shows and even bigger viral moments - The Kardashians is in safe hands.
Some things never change, with Khloe talking about her intimate areas as she does in most seasons of the KUWTK, and Kris managing to somehow manage her incredibly busy kids - miraculously they're even still talking about Kim's sex tape (as they did in season 1 of Keeping Up, coincidentally).
The Kardashians haven't reinvented the wheel, but neither did they need to. Their USP is themselves, and their lives are still innately fascinating - perhaps more than ever. Kourtney (who was famously branded the "least interesting" of the family by Kim), is now dating musician Travis Barker and the way they interact is unlike anything we've ever seen from her. It's quite lovely - and captivating. Kim is paving her way in the world as a single woman trying to break away from Kanye's influence. Khloe shows more fragility than we've ever seen, unsurprising with what she's been through with Tristan Thompson.
From the opening two episodes it's really about the Kardashians, and less about the Jenners. Kylie is pregnant with her second child when we join the show (she has since given birth to a baby boy), and Kendall has COVID, so is understandably missing for the first couple of episodes. According to the series trailer, we'll hopefully see a little more from them, too.
There's not a lot from KUWTK favourites, like Malika and Scott - Kanye is pretty much removed entirely, understandably, and Tristan's moments are minimal, too. The only real extra is Travis, who's clearly at the centre of attention with Kourt. Tonally a bit of a change from the sister who didn't want to be filmed... But hey, this is a new series.
If you're a fan of the Kardashians as people, you're going to love this. It's not quite as unique stylistically as Keeping Up, but it's a good, captivating, and easy watch - which is only going to get more fascinating as we delve into the behind the scenes of some of the biggest headlines of the past 12 months.
The Kardashians launches on Disney Plus on 14th April. Sign up to Disney Plus now for £79.90 for a year or £7.99 a month. Looking for something else to watch? Check out our list of the best movies on Disney Plus and best shows on Disney Plus, or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.
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