The Kardashians producer defends 'the edit': "People say the show's fake, and it isn't"
RadioTimes.com spoke to Ben Winston about putting together one of reality TV's biggest shows.
Much is made of the famous "edit" on The Kardashians, with many wondering how much say the family has and how it all works, with Kourtney, Kim, Khloé, Kendall, Kylie and Kris all acting as executive producers on the series.
What's more, in season 4 episode 1, Kim and Kourtney actually fight over something they saw in the edit, which brought up painful memories from season 3 when they clashed.
RadioTimes.com caught up with another of the executive producers on the series, Ben Winston, to find out how the entire process works.
Winston said: "They are partners in this, they're not just the talent we make a show about - and also, they have been making this genre of television long before I was, so I respect them and I respect their opinion.
By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.
"They acknowledge that they want the show to be great, so they come to the table wanting the show to be good and better, and for it to succeed. That helps, and it's important that it's remembered. But it is complicated."
Winston explained that the non-family execs make an edit first, then send to the family, who each make their own notes ("some will be quite specific... their notes are always fair, their notes are always productive and their notes help the show to be better").
Then, Winston and team send the cut to Disney Plus and Hulu, who come at it with fresh eyes having not been tied up in the storylines.
"Sometimes the family members have different notes, so we have to work out how we make everybody happy, but on the whole, it usually works itself out," he revealed.
"And if there's something that they really don't want, we do take it out, because they're our partners and our executive producers.
"I want them to feel comfortable with what goes on television, because they're trusting us so much, letting us into their lives and their homes, having cameras with their families."
Winston continued: "A lot of people say the show's fake, and it actually isn't. What you're seeing is exactly what's going on in their lives every day, and we get that access because they know if something happens that they'd prefer we didn't put in, we will respect that.
"That's how we maintain the real truth of what's going on in their lives - by respecting them. Ironically, we get more than we should do and would do by allowing them to have a real say on the edit."
Furthermore, the sisters have never shied away from the fact they're making a show - in fact, they embrace it. Of course, siblings would restart an argument if they had the chance to watch it back again. An "edit" would obviously cause fractures.
Winston added: "In the first 15 minutes of episode 1, we absolutely discussed the fact they are watching edits of season 3 and that's causing issues.
"It's really interesting, because not many people ever acknowledge they're on TV. I actually think you can't ignore the fact we're on the biggest shows on television - that is part of their story.
"We discuss how an issue they had at the end of season 3 is brought back up in actually an even more emotional way."
You can watch The Kardashians on Disney Plus – sign up to Disney Plus for £7.99 a month or £79.90 a year. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10, PLUS a £10 John Lewis and Partners voucher delivered to your home – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
