After the 20th and final season of Keeping Up with the Kardashians aired on E! last summer, fans of the Kardashian clan were left without a favorite reality show to cling to. Luckily, the Kardashians are bringing a new saga to the screen on Hulu, and it’s following in the footsteps of Friends: The Reunion, at least from a production standpoint.
Fans have known that Kim Kardashian and her famous family will be starring in a brand new reality series for Hulu as part of their production deal with Disney. But now that the production has reportedly kicked off, details are starting to slowly come into existence. Executive producers Kim Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian, Khloé Kardashian, Kris Jenner, and original KUWTK producer Ryan Seacrest have teamed up with production company Fulwell 73, whose previous work has included high-profile projects like One Direction: This is Us and the 2021 Grammy Awards ceremony. Fulwell 73 co-founder Ben Winston will also serve as an EP, according to Variety, with Danielle King taking on the role of showrunner.
But just how does this relate to Friends: The Reunion? Well, it was Ben Winston who provided most of the impetus for the smash hit special. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he'd rewatched the iconic sitcom over quarantine, inspiring him to contact the stars. Many of the special’s best features were directly influenced by Ben Winston, including Lisa Kudrow’s “Smelly Cat” duet with Lady Gaga, the intricately recreated set pieces, and many of the scenes performed as table reads. In addition to masterminding the entire operation, Ben Winston also directed the special, and earned an Emmy nomination for his efforts.
Ben Winston's past work has included The Late Late Show with James Corden and the Emmy-winning Carpool Karaoke series on Apple TV+. Cordon also serves as some connective tissue here, as he is a fellow Fulwell 73 producer partner, as well as the host of the Friends: The Reunion special. It's not known if he'll show up in the new series at all, but I think it'd be safe to expect such an outcome.
With Ben Winston and the Fulwell 73 crew leading the charge behind the scenes, the new Kardashian-Jenner series is sure to make waves. (Perhaps this will be the year the family earns a collective Emmy nom.) The streaming show will focus on the lives and struggles of Kim, Kourtney, and Khloé Kardashian, along with Kylie and Kendall Jenner. According to Hulu, the yet-untitled show will give fans a sneak peek into a “new, intimate journey into their lives," with more of a focus on the professional side, and slightly less focus on romantic relationships.
With nearly every Kardashian-Jenner sibling involved in business ventures like SKIMS, Kylie Cosmetics, and Good American, it’s probably safe to assume that the show will include a behind-the-scenes look at the ins and outs of running one or more companies. And with Kourtney Kardashian’s upcoming nuptials with former Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, fans might even get a wedding episode out of the deal. It wouldn’t be the first time a Kardashian has televised the planning of their special day. The show could also follow Kylie’s latest pregnancy with longtime partner Travis Scott, and how she's balancing that with all of her makeup deals. Fans will just have to keep on keeping up with the Kardashians to find out.
All 20 seasons of Keeping Up With the Kardashians are available to stream now on Hulu and NBC Peacock, with Friends: The Reunion still available to stream on HBO Max. The upcoming Kardashian-Jenner series doesn’t have a set premiere date yet, but be sure to check back here on CinemaBlend for future updates.
