Entertainment
MTV Pulls Plug on Lauren Conrad’s New Reality Show Because It Was “Too High Brow”
By Leah Chernikoff
Photo: Norman Jean Roy for Teen Vogue
MTV, the network that made Lauren Conrad a star, has confirmed they will not air her new reality show, which focused on her forthcoming contemporary line, Paper Crown.
“We decided not to go ahead with the show,” David Janollari, Head of Programming for MTV, told EW.com. “She did do a pilot. There were talks about whether we could somehow manage to put together a special based on that footage but that’s also a big question mark based on her interest in that and the finances…It was a great attempt but it just didn’t feel like a perfect fit for us now.”
It’s news that seems to have come to a shock to Conrad, who talked up the show in her Teen Vogue cover story a few months ago, saying it was inspired by The September Issue. “The Hills was shot with three or four cameras; things like entrances and exits were reshot; and if there were sound issues, we were asked to repeat what we just said,” Conard said. “This show is going to have a smaller crew, and they’ll just be following us around. It’s going to have a rougher feel, but I think the end result is going to be more true.”
Seems MTV wanted more Hills and less R.J. Cutler. Conrad has issued the following statement regarding MTV’s decision to kill the show:
“We sold a show to MTV, filmed it and are really proud of the final result. MTV felt the subject matter was too high brow for their audience and offered me the opportunity to change the show by incorporating more of my personal life. We agreed going into the project that this show would be an aspirational one, focusing on my career and my goals and not my personal relationships. We delivered the show that we sold and are sorry MTV didn’t feel their viewers were savvy enough to appreciate it.”
Burn. While it makes sense that Conrad would want to graduate from a Hills-style “reality” show, the Hills made Conrad successful, in part, by letting viewers get to know her and peek in on her personal life and drama. So if Conrad’s new show focused only on Paper Crown, a line she said is all about, “really great fits, fabrics, and details…nothing that’s trying too hard,” and nothing about Conrad, we can understand MTV’s reluctance to pick it up. Of course, it’s also understandable that Conrad is pissed about MTV’s decision. Without the publicity Paper Crown would have received from the show the fate of Conrad’s new line is uncertain.
Tags: Lauren Conrad, MTV, Paper Crown, The Hills
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wow this is really upseting. i think mtv is making a big mistake here. calling it “too high brow”? i would call it something that girls like me can aspire to be like. a girl whos working hard to get to where she wants to be in the fashion industry instead of just a bunch of partying kids. mtv is making a big mistake here
“too high brow”? how about something that girls can actually aspire to? something other than a bunch of partying kids? big mistake mtv
I don’t want to read past the headline and risk ruining a moment of perfect multi-layered irony.
Think again, MTC. The audience is growing up. This is what they want.
If she were smart, she’d sell to Bravo or Lifetime. Perhaps she’s outgrown MTV and she should be the one to take control and do something about it, instead of letting MTV shut her down.
yeah i agree bravo would be a good place for her
Especially with Rachel Zoe Project in uncertain waters. I don’t watch to watch the Berman clan bicker at eachother without Brad as a buffer.
I don’t care about Conrad, but this seems like a mistake. It seems to me that any new show of hers would easily catch a significant portion of the audience who began watching the Hills when they were 15 (who are in their 20′s now) plus a whole new crop of viewers who are interested in her because she’s been famous as long as they can remember. Apart from that, an RJ Cutler style fashion documentary would surely bring in a whole other area of curious adult viewers (like fashionista’s readership) who are influential, employed and apt to spend money on the sort of things people advertise on MTV.
From reading all the comments, Lauren Conrad still has a legion of fans from The Hills and the earlier program. The description of her new project sounds to me like a long commercial for her new clothing line rather than something I would class as “aspirational”. Perhaps MTV thought it sounded – well – boring? But maybe there is still an audience for it elsewhere.
That sucks! I feel like a lot of people that started watching Lauren on her journey were her same age. She and I graduated high school the same year so when Laguna aired, I was in my 1st year of school and it made me think of the last year w/ my friends. Throughout “The Hills” I went from relationships to roommates to scandals just like Lauren. Her fans grew up with her and I’m pretty sure all would have tuned in to see Lauren produce a clothing line. That’s 100% WAY more exciting than seeing a bunch of trash talking kids punch each other and then hook up on the Boardwalk in Jersey. :/
http://calvinshow.blogspot.com
“Without the publicity Paper Crown would have received from the show the fate of Conrad’s new line is uncertain. ”
I don’t think she’s going to halt her line because a reality show fell through. According to the paper-crown website the line will debut at the Coterie later this month.
Like others have said I think this would have been a good step up for MTV. They really need to find a medium between pregnant teens and drunken adults. A large chunk of their audience is in an age group where a focus on a career and life beyond the club scene is very relevant.
I think MTV didnt want to give Lauren Conrad tons of free MARKETING EXPOSURE at there expense and not getting to see her personal life as a good trade-off. Sorry peeps but that sound like a bad deal for MTV.
It sounds like it wouldn’t have been so far off from MTV’s ‘True Life’ series in look with a significant audience who’d tune in, I think it’s the network’s loss and hopefully some other network’s gain.
Fuck it she’s capable of being on E! and that is a better opportunity for her.
Though I have never been Lauren Conrad’s biggest fan, I have to admit that she’s likeable. And that I would probably watch anything else that she’s in, as long as it isn’t another MTV-style reality show.
Lets clear something up for those who don’t read the article closely. LC is the one saying that “MTV felt the subject matter was too high brow for their audience” and “MTV didn’t feel their viewers were savvy enough to appreciate it”. The real MTV quote only says that it was not a good fit for them. Which could mean anything, but IMP means they thought the show was a bore-fest and anticipated low viewership, therefore it was not financially worthwhile. And it’s naive of LC to think that MTV would want a show not based on her personal life since that was the foundation of her fame.
It seems plausible to me that MTV execs told Lauren exactly what she said when they met to discuss the fate of her show. MTV is not going to release a statement saying they dumb down their programming for their audience– their line-up speaks for itself. I also don’t think she was being naive. MTV struck a deal with her and sent out a press release late last year trumpeting a show that would be about her career so they knew what they were getting into. They likely thought they could change Lauren’s mind with the threat of pulling her show and probably didn’t expect her to not cave to their demands. After all, how many reality stars would refuse to add drama if it meant saving their show?
Yep, she said it, not MTV. If I may ask, what is highbrow about yet another D-level starlet starting her own fashion line? I guess for her, that’s highbrow. Best effing laugh I’ve had today.
i guess its highbrow compared to drunk jersey shore kids and violent teen parents.
Lauren has never been a fashion icon. Her clothes sell at Kohl’s… not really sure what we could learn from her new aspiring line. And I would never categorize her as “high brow” she’s commercial and mass market. She made the mistake of selling her soul to MTV. How does she have any chance to be taken seriously now?
MTV sux… all it seems to be now is a 24/7 marathon of 16 yr old rednecks on the fast-track to a life on welfare because they were too stupid to use birth control.