The Not So Simple Life

By now many of you have heard E!'s announcement to cancel the show, The Simple Life, earlier this week.

The premise of the show placed 26-year-old Hilton and the 25-year-old Richie, daughter of pop singer Lionel Richie, in precarious (and unusual for anybody really) situations the celebrity 'princesses' would likely never have the pleasure of experiencing.

According to E! the cancellation of the show was ordered due to low ratings, however many others speculate it was due to the REAL LIFE situations the pair had encountered apart from the show...

Not Your Average Sitcom
When the show began (originally aired on Fox back in 2003), it was what could have been considered a big hit within it's coincidental launch along side of an alleged lurid amateur video escapade, posted on the Internet by a misguided former boyfriend of Paris.

From the very beginning, it became apparent this skein was going to be anything but an 'average' reality show with among others 'average' participants.

After 5 seasons on the air (A record in reality show time), some would recount that the best season of the show was when the wealthy ingenues moved in with an average family in a small, relatively unknown town.

Viewers commented how much they had enjoyed watching "City Slickers" Paris and Nicole attempt to live sans the alleged glitz and glamour of H-town by doing things such as milking cows on the farm, working in a fast food place, and getting jobs as mechanics (I have one out of the 3 under my belt).

What Happened?
Ah, you can take the girls out of Hollywood, but you can't take Hollywood out of the girls...The Simple Life became more backstage scripted comedy to real life events for the stars of the show.

One day everything began to change...Suddenly, real life became more interesting than a television show? Well, that almost NEVER happens. Funny thing, a friend of mine back in film school used to say, "Real life is stranger than fiction"....

Filming of the fifth season suddenly became complicated by the high-profile personal and legal problems of both stars including BFF feuding, bar room fisticuffs, DUI arrests, drugs, probation violations, short 'visits' in jail, a rocker boyfriend and a pregnancy - what is this, Peyton Place revisited?

Both women are now well into their mid-twenties and I can totally relate to live fast and party hard lifestyle - I readily admit to my share of debauchery. Of course, my friends and I were not in the spotlight of the entire world, however we were subject to our PARENTS and the community.

What seemed like good rebellious youthful fun, are now great campfire stories that we love to talk about with amazement and gratitude that we survived. Okay so we still have fun, but today we are now way more sensible(-?) - Paris, Nicole start planning a big comeback...

Despite all of the off screen dramatics and mishaps, production company Bunim-Murray was able to skillfully complete the season - for they are the true professionals!

Had this been my show, there probably would have been many sleepless nights and more than likely some -you know what- to pay; my sleep is important (At least to me, anyway)!

The series finale will be aired on Sunday on E!