Netflix is gearing up to introduce the world to the next generation of reality stars from the fancy Los Angeles suburb in the new series “Calabasas Confidential.” While pop culture lovers are likely familiar with the city thanks to the long-running reality show “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” this new crew of unscripted television stars is sure to make a splash by spilling all of their tea in season 1, coming to the streaming giant in May. But before the first batch of episodes premieres, here’s everything fans should know.
‘Calabasas Confidential’ Will Premiere On Netflix On May 29 And Showcase A Dramatic Group Of Friends, Rivals, And Exes
According to Netflix’s Tudum, their new show will follow a close-knit group of high school friends, romantic partners, and foes who recently returned to Calabasas after four years away.
The show’s description reads, “Fresh out of college, they’re plunged right back into the drama they thought they left behind. As they settle back into their families’ sprawling mansions and slip into the familiar circuit of parties, La La Land catch-ups, and beach hangs, these young adults are forced to reckon not only with who they were but also with who they’re becoming — in the town that raised them.”
Who Is Part Of Netflix’s New Series Set In Calabasas?
The entire first season of “Calabasas Confidential” will air on Netflix on May 29. The episodes will showcase the cast navigating life after college while also dealing with shifting dynamics in their hometown.
“New flames, old feuds, and unexpected secrets don’t stay hidden forever behind the gates of LA’s most envied zip code,” the show’s synopsis said.
Speaking of the cast, season 1 of the show will include Alexie Olivo, Ben Favaedi, Dylan Wolf, Emilie Nelson, Emma Medrano, Hercy Miller, Jemma Durrant, Jodie Woods, Kimora Lewis, Nicole Sahebi, Preston Pippen, Raine Michaels, Sterling Retzlaff, and Suede Brooks.
‘Calabasas Confidential’ Is Part Of Netflix’s Plan To Bring Back A Certain Genre Of Reality TV
Based on some of the show’s early access press photos, it appears to have a similar feel to OG reality shows set in California, such as “Laguna Beach” and “The Hills.”
Jeff Gaspin, head of unscripted at Netflix, told Deadline that “Calabasas Confidential” is part of the streamer’s plan to bring “some of that magic back” of the original series.
“When someone in their 20s comes to visit Los Angeles, there’s two places they want to go, and it’s not Disneyland or Universal: It’s Calabasas and Erewhon,” he said in 2025. “I’m not a Calabasas native, but I moved here when I moved to L.A. in 2001. It used to be a pumpkin town and everyone would say, ‘Why are you moving all the way out there?’ But then, of course, a certain family moved in [to Hidden Hills] and put Calabasas on the map.”
Before the cast of “Calabasas Confidential” officially makes its grand entrance, another Netflix reality show, “Temptation Island,” has been the talk of the town.
According to The Blast, the show follows four couples struggling with personal issues and places them in a luxurious villa to tempt them with hot singles.
The show is dramatic, salacious, and scandalous, but for host Mark L. Walberg, it’s “real.”
“It’s real for me, and I don’t know how to detach or phone it in,” he said in a previous interview. “Having done it for years and years now, I can tell you that the people who come on [Temptation Island] really do get answers to their questions.”
Is ‘Temptation Island’ Scripted?
The over-the-top theatrics have also raised some eyebrows, prompting viewers to ask whether the show is scripted or 100% authentic.
According to Kai Stone, everything happened exactly as they were shown in the episodes.
“It’s not scripted like people think—no one’s telling you what to say—but it’s definitely engineered,” Stone said, per The Blast. “The producers know what they’re doing. You’re put in situations that are going to bring stuff out of you—good, bad, whatever’s already there.”
While the show’s cast may have been placed in uncomfortable situations, Stone said everyone has to own their actions.
“But what you say and how you react—that’s on you,” he said.