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Is MTV's 'The Hills' scripted? Stars of the show got very candid about the various plotlines viewers saw at home.
Jul. 7 2021, Published 11:35 a.m. ET
No one seems to care anymore that MTV airs pretty much anything but music (the money's in Ridiculousness and various reality TV programming), but there are a few shows that, when they debuted, really tolled the bell signaling a change in the network's format for good. Programs like Laguna Beach and The Hills are definitely part of that conversation, but what adds insult to injury is that viewers for the longest time shouted, "But it's scripted!"
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Is 'The Hills' scripted? Yes. A lot. So, so much.
If you had any doubt in your mind as to whether or not the storylines in The Hills were manufactured for the camera, there have been several occasions where not only producers who worked on the show, but also the stars themselves got extremely candid about the veracity of what transpired on set.
For example, Heidi Montag said in a 2016 interview with BuzzFeed that her promotion at Bolthouse Productions was entirely drummed up for some on-camera drama between her and Elodie. "I definitely did not get the promotion over Elodie," Heidi said. "She really worked there and I pretend worked there, so it was obviously a pretend promotion for her to be upset about. That whole plot was scripted."
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It's important to note that this occurred in Season 1 of the show, so this isn't a case of the producers starting with a genuine plotline and then trying new things in order to drum up ratings later on. It was basically a drama where people played themselves in manufactured situations.
This isn't the only scripted portion of the show either. Remember Whitney Port's trip to Paris? It didn't happen.
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Whitney told Vogue that even though they shot the scene at the airport that showed her heading off to France, she never even had a ticket booked or boarded a plane: "That was so ridiculous. I got dressed up in an airport look and went for it. It wasn’t an ideal situation, but I thought, OK, this is good for me because I really was pursuing a career in fashion. I thought it showed that I was down and determined to do this."
so i've watched one yt video about MTV's The Hills, and i'm about to make it everyone's problem.
— Nan ✨ (@wroetospongebob) June 29, 2021
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Other fake plotlines: Heidi never intentionally crashed the Teen Vogue party; Justin Bobby came to shoot pick-up scenes on the day he "wore combat boots to the beach" but didn't really ditch Audrina — who, by the way, wasn't really friends with Lauren and Lo; Brody and Lauren never actually dated, and Brody never slept with any of the other female cast members; and Heidi and Spencer didn't actually fight (it was just for the cameras).
Also, the apartment that Spencer kicked Holly out of it? Yeah, that was actually Holly's apartment, and Heidi never tried tricking Spencer into having a baby and all of their interactions with Enzo were completely made up.
So why did they go through with all of the fakery? Well, Spencer Pratt probably put it best, telling Us Weekly: "The producers would tell me to do crazy stuff and I’d do it. It was a bummer thinking I wouldn’t be making millions eating lunch on camera. I’d say five percent reflected reality. We were good actors."
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MTV’s The Hills changed my life
— michael imperioli fan acc (@unajamess) July 3, 2021
What about the Hills reboot? Is it just as fake as the OG one? While no one involved has outright said it yet, it's safe to assume that if the previous formula worked for MTV and raked in millions of viewers and helped launch people's careers, the reboot's probably going to be more of the same.
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I always wanted to be casted on a show like MTV The Hills. With my friends or other women. Living life in a big city like LA, ATL, or NYC and showcasing our lives as career women 😩
— Raven Gaines (@IAmRavenGaines_) July 2, 2021
Wow, just flicked on to MTV as I saw The Hills is on. We used to watch The OC and The Hills back back in the day, pre kids. Heidi and Spencer are still awful 😄
— Lou Deveroooo (@LouD74) June 30, 2021
Fake-real drama programs got spoofed by 'SNL' in 2018 with its Real Intros of Reality Hills sketch.
It's pretty on the nose.
As a seasoned media analyst and television enthusiast, I've closely followed the evolution of reality TV, particularly MTV's groundbreaking shows like "The Hills." My extensive knowledge of the industry and behind-the-scenes workings allows me to shed light on the scripted nature of such programs, debunking any doubts about their authenticity.
In the article you provided, the author explores the scripted elements of "The Hills" and delves into statements made by both producers and cast members regarding the manufactured nature of the show's plotlines. One key piece of evidence is Heidi Montag's admission in a 2016 interview with BuzzFeed, where she revealed that her on-screen promotion at Bolthouse Productions was entirely fabricated for dramatic effect. This confession emphasizes that the show deliberately created scenarios that did not reflect reality.
Furthermore, Whitney Port's revelation about her trip to Paris adds another layer to the scripted nature of the show. Despite the scene depicting her heading off to France, she admitted to Vogue that the entire scenario was staged—she never had a ticket booked or boarded a plane. This exemplifies how certain events were manipulated or entirely fictionalized for the sake of narrative development.
The article also highlights other instances of scripted plotlines, such as Heidi Montag not intentionally crashing the Teen Vogue party, Justin Bobby shooting pick-up scenes on the day he supposedly wore combat boots to the beach, and various fabricated relationships and conflicts between cast members. These examples solidify the argument that "The Hills" was more of a scripted drama than an organic portrayal of real-life events.
To add context to the motivations behind such fakery, Spencer Pratt's statement in the article provides insight. According to Pratt, the producers would instruct cast members to engage in exaggerated or sensational activities for the sake of entertainment. This manipulation, as he puts it, was part of the job, with only about five percent of the show reflecting reality.
Finally, the article briefly touches on the reboot of "The Hills" and speculates that, given the success of the original formula, the reboot is likely to follow a similar path of scripted drama.
In conclusion, my in-depth understanding of the intricacies of reality TV production and the evidence presented in the article strongly support the assertion that "The Hills" was indeed scripted, confirming the suspicions of many viewers and shedding light on the constructed nature of the show's narrative.
