"The Simple Life" (2003) TV series 2003-2007

Directors:

Kasey Barrett
Alicia Bean

Writers:

Brian Caldirola (writer)
Jeff Fisher (writer)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Release Date:

2 December 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Reality-TV

Tagline:

They lived on a farm, they worked for a living , they lead the simple life... but can they do it again

Plot:

Paris and Nicole accept various internships along the east coast. Hilarity ensues as the girls leave their limos behind, and travel by Greyhound Bus.

Plot Keywords:

Heiress | Best Friends | Friendship | Class Differences | Celebrity

Awards:

3 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Paris Hilton	...	Herself (56 episodes, 2003-2007)
Nicole Richie	...	Herself (56 episodes, 2003-2007)

Also Known As:

Simple Life Goes to Camp (USA) (fifth season title)
The Simple Life 2: Road Trip (USA) (second season title)
The Simple Life: 'Til Death Do Us Part (USA) (fourth season title)
The Simple Life: Goes to Camp (USA) (fifth season title)
The Simple Life: Interns (USA) (third season title)

Runtime:

22 min (56 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M (some episodes) | Germany:12 (TV rating) | Germany:6 (DVD rating) | New Zealand:M (season 3, 4) | Singapore:PG (season 1) | Australia:PG (DVD rating) | Australia:PG | USA:TV-PG | UK:12 (DVD rating) | UK:12

Filming Locations:

Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

By George Productions Inc.

Trivia:

Originally the producers wanted Paris Hilton's sister Nicky Hilton to star in the show with her. When Nicky turned it down, the producers offered Hilton's longtime pal Nicole Richie the chance to star in it with her.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Last Laugh '04 (2004) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Ms. Hilton

A scathing commentary on the upper-class brats of society

If this show were fiction, it would be considered a satire. But this is ALL REAL! These girls are really this spoiled and really this conceited! I'm not a big fan of most reality shows. As a matter of fact, besides "Last Comic Standing" and "America's Next Top Model," this is the only reality show I've ever watched. And for some good reason. The show has an interesting premise. I'm sure all of us dreamt of watching rich people be forced to deal with the rigors of working-class life. It's the perfect venegance! Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie are living proof that the chances are 90 percent that a rich person wouldn't last one second living the simple life. Personally, it would be a dream for me to live in a small, quiet town where there's very little crime and everyone's friendly to one another. This is not exactly San Quentin we're talking about! But you'd be surprised how agonizing it could be for a spoiled rich daughter to have to endure life without a credit card. In the show, the father of the family would make the girls do simple chores like feeding the chickens, and they would treat him like he was some Nazi general. What's wrong with exercising a little discipline? What's wrong with having RULES in a house? Did Paris and Nicole's parents set ANY ground rules for them growing up? The kicker for me was finding out that Paris and Nicole never had JOBS! I mean, in one episode they're actually struggling to work at Sonic. Can you find an easier job than working at a fast food joint in the middle of Arkansas? I'm under the impression that the girls didn't have to face any responsibility growing up, which is pretty tragic. The show also proves how uneducated these girls are. In an episode where the family is playing Trivial Pursuit, the girls are able to answer every question having to do with fashion in a snap. Yet when they were asked who's the Secretary of State, they were totally clueless! I was also angered by the fact that just because the inhabitants of this small town are quiet and reserved, the girls acted like these people have problems and are all stuck-up. I wanted to stand up and cheer during the episode where the girls create an uproar at a local bar, and its female owner scolds them, saying that she doesn't care who they are--they have no business destroying her bar like that. Then you hear the people in the bar scream things like "Go home, rich b**ch." Took the words right out of my mouth. I'm not going to lie that one of the things that lured me into the show was getting the chance to watch these two hot girls prance around in skimpy outfits. But once I was lured in, I was repulsed after finding out how selfish and spoiled these two brats really are. My one minor disappointment about the show was the last episode in which everyone in the town was interviewed and said that despite the girls' lewd behavior, they really caught a liking to them. The whole time watching those interviews I kept wondering, "How much money are these people getting paid to say this stuff?" "The Simple Life 3" should have Paris and Nicole living in the ghetto. You know damn well people aren't going to be nice to them there, no matter how famous they are. And to finish off my review, I love that "Miss Hilton" song they play during every show. All in all, this is a great commentary on the upper-class, proving how cruel it is that the rich are getting richer. (8 out of 10)