This is an unscientific estimate, but I’d say that the series finale of The Hills was probably the most important television moment of all time. It was the closest we as a society have ever come to letting the seemingly unstoppable giant killer cobra of reality TV begin to devour its own tail, and it was clear the repercussions were too powerful; we had to back away, never to revisit the notion again. Just watch the shoddy YouTube clip above and feel the chills (and rain) on your skin all over again.
So when EW reported today that MTV (1) would effectively be making July National BeachHills Month with back-to-back marathon airings of Laguna Beach and The Hills starting on July 8, and (2) would air a previously unseen ending to the all-important final Hills episode, it was a chance to rewrite history.
I say go all out this time, MTV. When that Hollywood backdrop gets wheeled away, I expect to see not only a studio backlot professionally staging the supposedly cinema verité experience that captured a nation’s imagination, but also a group of interns busily burning American Idol ballots, people doing blocking exercises for a Real Housewives brawl, Chris Harrison injecting Bachelorette hopefuls with PEDs, and some kind of proof that football is 100 percent CGI.
Friday, August 9, 11:30 a.m. (for some bizarre reason). Can’t wait for all our dreams to be destroyed.