Khloé Kardashian is no stranger to television. Since the premiere of “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” in 2007, Khloé has appeared in a number of reality shows. Now she gets to play host in her latest TV venture, “Kocktails with Khloé.”
The show, which premiered on FYI on January 20, takes the form of a late night talk show. Unlike normal talk shows, the set is designed to look like a house, complete with a kitchen and living room. Each episode starts out with the first few guests showing up at Khloé’s door. After letting them inside, Khloé walks them over to the kitchen to hear about the “kocktail” of the night from Sharone the bartender. Khloé introduces the guests and then begins the first game. The games are really just meant to start conversation and get the guests to open up. And boy do they. The show covers a wide range of topics including sex, relationships, pop culture and celebrity gossip. Khloé seems to be very open and authentic, which rubs off on the guests.
Once the first game is over, everyone moves to the living room. Around this time, the last couple of guests show up at the door. They join the rest of the group and continue to play more games. So far, the games have consisted of things like “F***/Marry/Kill,” “Kocktail Pong,” “Faux or Real” and “Khloé’s Kocktail Theater,” where two of the guests act out a famous celebrity Twitter feud. Things get dirty and downright awkward at times, but Khloé does a good job of keeping things light and fun.
Judging from the first two episodes, the guests are what make the show either a hit or a flop. Having read the reviews before watching the first episode, my expectations were low. However, the show pleasantly surprised me. The guests (Kendall Jenner, Brandi Glanville, Kym Whitley, Aisha Tyler and Snoop Dogg) were funny, open and seemed to get along well considering their vastly different backgrounds. Unfortunately, the second episode was a disaster. Despite Khloé’s best efforts, the guests (Malika Haqq, Morgan Stewart, Jenna Marbles, Tyga and Scott Disick) didn’t mesh well. The awkwardness between them was palpable, and everything that came out of Jenna Marbles’ mouth made it even worse. The conversations fell flat rather than flowed, and the games just made things feel uncomfortable. I breathed a sigh of relief when Sharone brought out the champagne to signal the end of the show.
Despite a rough start, the show seems to be a hit for FYI. The first episode was the network’s most-watched premiere in its history, and the second episode broke its digital viewing record.
I am going to give “Kocktails with Khloé” the benefit of the doubt and say that the show will improve. Although there are some awkward moments, Khloé does a great job as the host. She knows how to keep things fun and move the conversation along. Once the show irons out the kinks and gets some better guests, “Kocktails with Khloé” has the potential to become a success.
To watch Kocktails with Khloé,” tune into FYI Wednesdays at 10 p.m. Eastern time.
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