Reality TV has changed dramatically since The Hills signed off, says Allie Jones. "In 2019, television is just one component of the average reality star’s media output. Most stars now broadcast their daily lives on Instagram Stories or YouTube, and the story lines that appear on their shows have often already played out for the public on social media or in the tabloids. The subsequent reality show episode isn’t exactly what really happened—it’s more so a tool in narrative crafting." Jones adds that The Hills was the perfect show in its time. "Was there ever a better reality show than The Hills?" she says. "It had everything: Hollywood club scenes, mascara tears, a hairdresser named Justin Bobby, really dumb quotes, Ryan Cabrera for some reason. It was shot in what I thought at the time was a very beautiful way, with Lauren Conrad speeding down the 101 in a black BMW convertible, her sunny highlights streaming in the wind. It was a fantasy better than any Disney movie. Sure, it probably should have ended with Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt’s wedding in Season 5, and yes, it’s difficult to acknowledge the two extra seasons starring Conrad’s Laguna Beach rival Kristin Cavallari as canon. But still, The Hills was a unique treasure, a monument to the culture of Hollywood in the mid-aughts. And now, nine years after the series finale, MTV is bringing it back. Hmm."
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TOPICS: The Hills, MTV, The Hills: New Beginnings, Jason Wahler, Lily Neumeyer, Mischa Barton, Reality TV, Social Media