Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie take a selfie together/Photo credit: Nicole Richie's Instagram account
It has been over two decades since the debut of a reality TV show that put two best friends into stardom. And today, those friends are back for a reboot of their famous show, The Simple Life. Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie star in the three-episode reboot Paris & Nicole: The Encore now streaming on Peacock.
The reality show revisits the unique dynamic between the two women as they hope to turn one of their catchphrases, “Sanasa,” into an opera. The trailer shows them in their usual shenanigans as they rehearse for the show, attempt to train themselves musically and make plans for a red carpet debut of their opera.
Of course, they must return to their roots, not those of the glitz and glam of Los Angeles, but to Arkansas, where they famously visited a Walmart for the first time.
Comments prove that fans are ready for this. On the Peacock trailer post, “I can’t wait to watch this. It’s gonna be chaos and wildin’ all over the place which is exactly their brand. Good stuff!” Another excited fan, “Millennials everywhere rejoice.”
The preview shows a bit of the overall silliness and lighthearted banter that fans fell in love with all those years ago, showing Hilton speaking to a current Walmart employee, “These are our old stomping grounds. This is our favorite store.”
The clip then jumps back in time to the infamous Walmart discussion, which eventually led to their in-person visit, “Do you guys hang out at Walmart? Why? What is Walmart? Do they sell wall stuff?” Hilton, in a current interview with show producer J.J. Duncan, “I know now that Walmart doesn’t sell walls. They sell Paris Hilton Cookware. Yeah, full circle moment.”
Walmart, probably not ironically, saw the business opportunity and joined forces with Hilton, selling her cookware line, including pink pots and pans, utensils, an air fryer, and a Dutch oven. Her website offers options for a “glam” party, casual family brunches, romantic date nights, and holiday feast prep. Her 10-piece non-stick cookware set has great reviews with nearly 5 stars and costs under $80.
The Simple Life was one of television’s most-watched shows, debuting in 2003 and starring Nichole Ritchie and Paris Hilton. It followed the lives of hotel heiress Hilton and Richie, the adopted daughter of legendary singer Lionel Richie. The show was a hit, featuring the two working as farmhands at a fast-food restaurant and working as estheticians, none of which they excelled in doing.
The show ran for five seasons from 2003-2007 on Fox and brought in big ratings, increasing the network’s viewership by nearly 80% with the season debut alone. Some 13 million viewers tuned in for the first season debut, followed by another 9 million in the second season. The show more than tripled the network’s average in key demographic groups. It was nominated for five Teen Choice Awards and won the Fox Reality Award as an Innovator of Reality Television in 2009. The Simple Life inspired seven different remakes worldwide and opened the door for other soon-to-be massive reality shows such as Keeping Up With The Kardashians and The Girls Next Door.