The City (MTV series)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''The City'' is an American
reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early ...
series that originally aired on MTV from December 29, 2008, until July 13, 2010. Developed as the spin-off of '' The Hills'', the series aired two seasons and focused on the personal and professional lives of several young women residing in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
, New York. Its premise was conceived by
Adam DiVello Adam DiVello is an American television producer. He was a senior production and development executive at MTV where he developed and executive produced '' Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County''. DiVello left the network in 2007 to form his own compan ...
, while
Liz Gateley Liz Gateley is an American television producer. She currently serves as head of programming at Lifetime Television. She is also a founding partner and co-owner, along with Tony DiSanto, of DiGa, a studio and production company hybrid. In what Gat ...
and Sean Travis served as
executive producers Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights o ...
. The series originally focused on
Whitney Port Whitney Eve Port-Rosenman (born March 4, 1985) is an American television personality, fashion designer and author. In 2006, Port came to prominence after being cast in the reality television series '' The Hills'', which chronicled the personal an ...
, who appeared in its predecessor, as she began employment with Diane von Fürstenberg. It additionally placed emphasis on her workplace rival
Olivia Palermo Olivia Palermo (born February 28, 1986) is an American socialite, fashion influencer, entrepreneur, model and television personality. Palermo gained celebrity status when she sued socialiterank.com for releasing a letter that was proven to be f ...
, Port's boyfriend Jay Lyon, his roommate Adam Senn, and her friend Erin Lucas. The latter three were replaced by Port's roommate Roxy Olin and Palermo's co-worker
Erin Kaplan Erin Kaplan (born 1983) is an American publicist and television and fashion media personality. Kaplan graduated from Marymount Manhattan College with an undergraduate degree in marketing. For five and a half years, Kaplan worked for ELLE Magazi ...
for the second half of the first season. Like its predecessor, the series was often criticized for tending towards a narrative format more commonly seen in scripted genres including
soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
s, and appearing to fabricate much of its storyline. The show has distributed all seasons to DVD.


Background

In 2004, the
reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early ...
series '' Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County'' premiered on MTV. The program was created by
Liz Gateley Liz Gateley is an American television producer. She currently serves as head of programming at Lifetime Television. She is also a founding partner and co-owner, along with Tony DiSanto, of DiGa, a studio and production company hybrid. In what Gat ...
and documented the lives of several students attending Laguna Beach High School as they completed secondary education. The series proved among the network's most successful programming, though the entire original cast left after the second season and were replaced by another group of teenagers for the following season. Television producer
Adam DiVello Adam DiVello is an American television producer. He was a senior production and development executive at MTV where he developed and executive produced '' Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County''. DiVello left the network in 2007 to form his own compan ...
developed the spin-off program '' The Hills'' to follow one of its predecessor's original cast members Lauren Conrad as she moved to
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
to pursue a career in the fashion industry. After ''The Hills'' itself became similarly successful, DiVello developed ''The City'' upon the conclusion of the parent series' fourth season, which saw one of its primary cast members
Whitney Port Whitney Eve Port-Rosenman (born March 4, 1985) is an American television personality, fashion designer and author. In 2006, Port came to prominence after being cast in the reality television series '' The Hills'', which chronicled the personal an ...
move to
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
to begin employment with Diane von Fürstenberg.


Series synopsis


Overview and casting

''The City'' chronicles the lives of several young women living in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
, New York. Every installment commences with a voice-over narrative from series lead
Whitney Port Whitney Eve Port-Rosenman (born March 4, 1985) is an American television personality, fashion designer and author. In 2006, Port came to prominence after being cast in the reality television series '' The Hills'', which chronicled the personal an ...
, foreshadowing the
theme Theme or themes may refer to: * Theme (arts), the unifying subject or idea of the type of visual work * Theme (Byzantine district), an administrative district in the Byzantine Empire governed by a Strategos * Theme (computing), a custom graphical ...
of the episode. Each season concludes with a finale, typically involving a major event such as a progressing relationship or the departure of a cast member. Most installments revolve around the women's everyday lives, with the intention of balancing coverage of their personal and professional endeavors. ''The City: Live After Show'' was occasionally aired following the broadcast of an episode; the program followed ''
The After Show The After Show is the title of several aftershows aired by MTV's Canadian channel, originally connected to reality series by MTV such as ''Laguna Beach'' and '' The Hills''. Because the Canadian channel now known as MTV was originally approved as ...
'' format used by other MTV programs, including ''The Hills'', where Jessi Cruickshank and Dan Levy served as hosts while the audience commented on the episode. Throughout its run, the series was led by five primary cast members during its first season and four during its second. Its original main cast members were Port, Jay Lyon, Erin Lucas, Adam Senn, and
Olivia Palermo Olivia Palermo (born February 28, 1986) is an American socialite, fashion influencer, entrepreneur, model and television personality. Palermo gained celebrity status when she sued socialiterank.com for releasing a letter that was proven to be f ...
. Lucas, Lyon, and Senn were replaced by Roxy Olin and
Erin Kaplan Erin Kaplan (born 1983) is an American publicist and television and fashion media personality. Kaplan graduated from Marymount Manhattan College with an undergraduate degree in marketing. For five and a half years, Kaplan worked for ELLE Magazi ...
beginning in the second half of the first season. The aforementioned women's storylines were largely developed by a number of supporting cast members. Alexandra Crandell was credited as "Adam's girlfriend", while Samantha Swetra was labeled "Whitney's friend".
Kelly Cutrone Kelly Cutrone (born Kelly Blanding circa 1965) is an American publicist, television personality and author. Early life and career beginnings Kelly Cutrone was born and raised in Camillus, New York. Cutrone graduated from Syracuse University in 1 ...
was featured the owner of the PR firm People's Revolution and the employer of Port and Olin, while Joe Zee was credited as Palermo's boss at ''Elle''.


Storylines

In its series premiere, ''The City'' first introduces
Whitney Port Whitney Eve Port-Rosenman (born March 4, 1985) is an American television personality, fashion designer and author. In 2006, Port came to prominence after being cast in the reality television series '' The Hills'', which chronicled the personal an ...
, who moved from
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
,
California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
to
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
, New York to begin employment for fashion designer Diane von Fürstenberg. She reunited with her friend Erin Lucas and love interest Jay Lyon, and befriended co-worker
Olivia Palermo Olivia Palermo (born February 28, 1986) is an American socialite, fashion influencer, entrepreneur, model and television personality. Palermo gained celebrity status when she sued socialiterank.com for releasing a letter that was proven to be f ...
against her companions' advice. Port became irritated the feelings Lyon had for his ex-girlfriend Danielle and his unwillingness to commit to a relationship, and eventually severed ties with him. Lyon's distaste for his housemate Adam Senn's girlfriend Allie Crandell ultimately ruined their friendship, while Senn and Crandell's relationship was strained by rumors of his alleged infidelity. Lucas' long-distance boyfriend Duncan Davies, who lived in
Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
, Canada, broke up with Lucas after discovering that she had become friendly with her ex-boyfriend JR. Meanwhile, the companionship between Port and Palermo dissolved after growing tensions in the workplace. Prior to production of the second half of the season, Lucas, Lyon, and Senn departed from the series. Port also left her position at Diane von Fürstenberg and resumed working at her previous employer
Kelly Cutrone Kelly Cutrone (born Kelly Blanding circa 1965) is an American publicist, television personality and author. Early life and career beginnings Kelly Cutrone was born and raised in Camillus, New York. Cutrone graduated from Syracuse University in 1 ...
's PR firm People's Revolution. As the season resumed, Port's friend Roxy Olin was introduced as a new main cast member, and was hired at People's Revolution. Palermo had left Diane von Fürstenberg for a position with ''
Elle ''Elle'' (stylized ''ELLE'') is a worldwide women's magazine of French origin that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, together with culture, society and lifestyle. The title means "she" or "her" in French. ''Elle'' is considered the w ...
'', where she clashed with co-worker and new main cast member
Erin Kaplan Erin Kaplan (born 1983) is an American publicist and television and fashion media personality. Kaplan graduated from Marymount Manhattan College with an undergraduate degree in marketing. For five and a half years, Kaplan worked for ELLE Magazi ...
. With Cutrone's guidance, Port begins designing a fashion line, while Kaplan becomes increasingly displeased with Palermo's under-performance. Port also began dating friend Freddie Fackelmayer, but was dismayed to learn that he had a girlfriend. By the season finale, Port had presented the "Whitney Eve" lookbook to
Bergdorf Goodman Bergdorf Goodman Inc. is a luxury department store based on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York. The company was founded in 1899 by Herman Bergdorf and was later owned and managed by Edwin Goodman, and later his son, Andrew Goodman. ...
, and decided to further publicize her collection through a fashion show at
Bryant Park Bryant Park is a public park located in the New York City borough of Manhattan. Privately managed, it is located between Fifth Avenue and Avenue of the Americas ( Sixth Avenue) and between 40th and 42nd Streets in Midtown Manhattan. The e ...
. In the beginning of the second season, Joe Zee attempted to salvage the relationship between Palermo and Kaplan by reassigning the former to work on ''Elle''.com. However, the strategy proved unsuccessful as the women continue to clash with one another. Meanwhile, Olin begins a flirtatious friendship with photographer Zach Hyman. Cutrone cautions Port that Olin's lack of professionalism and inexperience in the industry may damage Port's reputation. However, Olin's under-performance ultimately strained their friendship, and culminated in Olin moving into an apartment with their friend Samantha Swetra. The season finale sees Palermo promoted as the new face of ''Elle''.com after a successful business trip to Japan, while Port contemplates leaving People's Revolution after she and Cutrone clash over the development of her fashion line.


Reception


Critical response

''The City'' received generally mixed reviews from critics. Melissa Camacho of
Common Sense Media Common Sense Media (CSM) is an organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children.
criticized the program for featuring a near-identical plotline to its predecessor '' The Hills'', where Lauren Conrad was similarly shown to pursue a career in the fashion industry while addressing difficulties among her friends. Ginia Bellefante from ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' suggested that the series was purposely produced sub-par to its parent series, commenting that it "is not the advertisement for New York that ''The Hills'', with its dreamily shot opening-credit sequence, is for
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
". An editor from ''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, th ...
'' questioned if Port was interesting enough to lead her own spin-off series, describing her personality as featuring "unavoidable, inexorable ordinariness".


Scripting allegations

''The City'' was often criticized for appearing to fabricate much of its storyline. In one instance, Diane von Fürstenberg workers were reportedly angered that Port "doesn't really work" and was "hardly ever in the office", elaborating that series producers would inhibit normal work operations by not allowing employees to move items in their offices. Freddie Fackelmayer, Port's former love interest, commented that the network "never asked the cast to say or do anything", though the editing that followed portrayed him as a "womanizing jerk". An additional source of suspicion arose in the second half of the first season, where Palermo allegedly purchased counterfeit accessories on Canal Street for a work assignment; the non-discreet nature of the transaction led to speculation that the scene was staged for the segment. In 2009, Palermo commented that she was "disappointed" by the "villainous" manner in which she was portrayed on the program. She added that she was "super friendly" with Port at work, whereas the series depicted a more strained relationship.


U.S. television ratings

The series opening of ''The City'' premiered to 1.6 million viewers, significantly less than the 2.6 million viewers attracted by the fourth-season finale of ''The Hills''. The second half of the season premiered with 2 million viewers, a 43% increase from its debut. The remainder of the season maintained an average 1.9 million viewers, with the finale peaking at 2.3 million. Upon the conclusion of the second season in July 2010, rumors were widespread that ''The City'' would be cancelled. In October 2010, Port commented that "it doesn't really look like we're doing it anymore", with MTV later adding that the series would not be renewed for a third season.


Broadcast history and distribution

''The City''s first season commenced airing on December 29, 2008, one week after the fourth-season finale of '' The Hills''. The series continued to air on Monday evenings until its midseason finale on March 16, 2009, at which point it had aired thirteen episodes. Rather than ordering an official second season, MTV included an additional ten episodes to the first season. The extension premiered on September 29, 2009, where it was moved to the Tuesday night timeslot, and concluded on December 1, 2009. The second season premiered on April 27, 2010, after the sixth-season premiere of ''The Hills''. Both programs held the Tuesday evening timeslot; both concluded after twelve episodes on July 13, 2010. ''The City'' episodes aired regularly on MTV in the United States. All episodes are approximately thirty minutes, and were broadcast in
standard definition Standard-definition television (SDTV, SD, often shortened to standard definition) is a television system which uses a resolution that is not considered to be either high or enhanced definition. "Standard" refers to it being the prevailing sp ...
. The series' episodes are also available for download at the
iTunes Store The iTunes Store is a digital media store operated by Apple Inc. It opened on April 28, 2003, as a result of Steve Jobs' push to open a digital marketplace for music. As of April 2020, iTunes offered 60 million songs, 2.2 million apps, 25,00 ...
. Episodes were previously available for viewing through the official MTV website, though they have since become unavailable since the series' conclusion. Since its debut, Paramount Pictures has released both seasons of ''The City'' onto DVD, to regions 1, 2, and 4. Each product includes all episodes of the respective season, in addition to deleted scenes and interviews of series personnel.


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:City, The 2008 American television series debuts 2010 American television series endings 2000s American reality television series 2010s American reality television series American television spin-offs English-language television shows Fashion-themed reality television series MTV reality television series The Hills (TV series) Reality television spin-offs Television shows set in New York City