The Kardashians vs Keeping Up With The Kardashians: What is the difference?
For fans experiencing Kardashian-related withdrawal symptoms, the family’s new reality show will feel like coming home.
One of the most influential families in the world is returning to the small screen.
Before Keeping Up with the Kardashians (KUWTK) wrapped up on E! in June 2021 after 20 seasons, it was announced that Kim and company have found a new home.
The family is not ready to surrender the spotlight. Quite the opposite: They’re moving to Disney, signalling that they’re ready to embrace streaming as a more relevant medium to share their journey.
Their new series, titled simply The Kardashians, premieres globally this week, with all members of the family expected to return and share what they’ve been up to lately. Based on the title of the first episode, they’re eager to leave the past behind and make the most of this fresh start.
But how will the new show be different than KUWTK? And what can fans expect once the show arrives? Let's speculate.
The Kardashians premiere date and where to watch in Australia
The Kardashians premieres globally on Thursday, 14 April. It’s a Hulu original production and will stream as a Disney Plus Star original outside the US.
Consequently, fans will be able to watch it exclusively on Disney Plus in Australia, where it will live under the Star channel. Unlike KUWTK which was available to stream via the likes of hayu, BINGE and Foxtel Now The Kardashians is only on Disney Plus.
Episodes will come out weekly on Thursdays. The first episode is titled Burn Them All to the F*cking Ground.
Disney Plus offers plenty of family-friendly content, but Star hosts titles suitable solely for adults. The channel is included with a Disney Plus subscription which costs $11.99 per month or $119.99 per year. The platform doesn’t offer a free trial.
Other highlights on Disney Plus include Oscar-winning movie Encanto, Marvel TV show Moon Knight, miniseries The Dropout, original movie Better Nate than Ever and Pixar gem Turning Red. The service comes with no strings attached, so you can cancel your subscription anytime.
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What will The Kardashians be about?
Details about the new show have been mostly kept under wraps, but we expect it to be similar to Keeping Up with The Kardashians. We’ll get to see the family deal with personal relationships, strive to hit new career goals and, hopefully, address ongoing scandals fans are dying to learn more about.
The cast features mother Kris Jenner along with her 5 daughters – Kourtney, Kim, Khloé, Kendall and Kylie. The Kardashians will reportedly focus on Kris, Kim, Kourtney and Khloé, but Kendall and Kylie will appear as well.
Family son Rob Kardashian won’t be a part of the cast – however, he might make cameos. According to Variety, which talked to the family ahead of the show premiere, Caitlyn Jenner won’t be featured in the series.
How will the new show be different from Keeping Up with the Kardashians?
Per the same Variety article, the new series will have a more intimate feel. Given that it will be on a streaming service, real-life events from the family’s life will be covered in a timely fashion thanks to a quicker turnaround time between filming and production.
At the same time, while Keeping Up with the Kardashians required the family to film scenes together, The Kardashians will feature the family members individually more often. Fans will enjoy a premium show with a docu-series feel. “We wanted it to be as current as possible,” Kim told the outlet.
Otherwise, we can expect a similar format to KUWTK, as the new series will showcase the family’s personal and professional endeavours.
The Disney synopsis reads: “Kris, Kourtney, Kim, Khloé, Kendall, and Kylie bring the cameras back to reveal the truth behind the headlines. From the intense pressures of running billion-dollar businesses to the hilarious joys of playtime and school drop-offs, this series brings viewers into the fold with a rivetingly honest story of love and life in the spotlight.”
How many seasons will The Kardashians have?
Variety reports that the deal with Hulu is for 2 seasons, 40 episodes total.
That being said, the Kardashians signed a multi-year content deal with Hulu/Disney Plus. It’s possible that The Kardashians will stream for additional seasons or that spin-off series will debut at a later time.
What will we see in The Kardashians?
Not a lot of details about the plot are available, but we’re talking about one of the most famous families in the world. The Kardashians live out loud, whether they want to or not, so there are a few things we can expect to see when the reality show arrives.
The show started filming in September last year, so it will cover Kim’s appearance on Saturday Night Live, among other major Kardashian milestones.
Variety confirmed that Kanye West filmed scenes for the new reality series before the relationship between him and Kim deteriorated. The 2 have recently went through a public and messy divorce, with West repeatedly harassing Kim via social media. We may see the rapper featured in the first episodes of the series.
Additionally, fans will get to learn more about Kim’s efforts to become a lawyer and her relationship with Saturday Night Live cast member Pete Davidson.
More exactly, Kim will detail “how we met and who reached out to who and how it happened and all the details that everyone wants to know,” as she told Variety. Kim confirmed that she didn’t shoot any scenes with Davidson, but she’s not excluding an appearance from him in the future.
Stream The Kardashians on Disney Plus: Start watching Disney Plus now
Elsewhere, The Kardashians will touch on Khloé’s relationship with Tristan Thompson, who recently had a child with another woman. Plus, Kourtney and Travis Barker seem down to share details of their on-going romance – and their desire to have a baby together. Kourtney’s ex Scott Disick will appear in the new series as well.
As for Kylie, she recently gave birth to her second child. When the new show debuts, she will open up about what it was like to have her pregnancy in the public eye. Might we get to eventually learn the newborn’s name? Or perhaps get the scoop on how Kendall’s modelling career is going?
All will be revealed on Thursday, 14 April. Mark your calendars accordingly.
Want to learn more about what's on Disney Plus? Check our list of best Disney Plus shows on offer. Or to learn more about the service itself see Finder's review of Disney Plus.