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By Kyle Anderson and James Montgomery

Tuesday night (July 13), as you're probably aware, MTV's "The Hills" wrapped up its triumphant six-season run. And while it's probably too early to start talking about legacies, that's exactly what we've been doing in the MTV Newsroom, debating where the show fits in the canon of reality television. Some said it's the most influential show of its ilk, others disagreed, citing "The Real World," which, while a very different show from "The Hills," is also a prime contender for the crown. The back-and-forth was so heavy, in fact, that we decided to have two of our most vocal writers — MTV Newsroom editor Kyle Anderson and Rock Editor James Montgomery — continue the discussion here on the Web site. Here's their point/counterpoint about the legacy of "The Hills."

Kyle Anderson: "The Hills" Is The Most Influential Reality TV Show Of All Time

When "The Hills" finally exited the airwaves on Tuesday night, it secured its place as the most influential reality show ever captured on film. Sure, MTV's "The Real World" has the benefit of time on its side ("The Hills" star Lauren Conrad was only six years old when Becky, Andre, Eric, Julie, Norman, Kevin and Heather B. first moved into a New York loft), but no show has done more to change the landscape of reality TV — and indeed, television as a whole — than "The Hills" (and its predecessor, "Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County").

Why is that indisputable? Because "The Hills" not only changed the way that reality TV looked, but also managed to change the entire aesthetic of most of television. The basic approach — shooting reality television like a scripted drama, as the show's final shot suggested — turned the genre on its ear, gave it a jolt and extended its lifeline, possibly indefinitely.

Before "Laguna Beach" premiered, most reality programming was based around some sort of competition (like "Survivor" or "American Idol"), and most of them looked more like game shows than anything else — which, considering their structure, was appropriate for the genre. But "Laguna Beach" took a far more cinematic approach, spinning the trials and tribulations of Kristin, Lauren, Lo and the rest into epic storylines aided by artful camera angles.

But what began as a maverick way of working became the norm (the "Real Housewives" series has especially embraced this). In fact, even some actual television dramas (like "Gossip Girl" and the "90210" re-start) began borrowing elements from "The Hills." What began as something stagey became completely naturalistic, so whenever a show needs to look extra-real, producers turn to the "Hills" aesthetic. It now feels more normal than other "reality," and isn't that the very definition of influential?

James Montgomery: "The Real World" Is The Most Influential Reality TV Show Of All Time

Back in 1992, a heady little show called "The Real World" debuted on MTV. It was, at the time, hailed as something of a breakthrough; a social experiment that stuck seven total strangers into a SoHo co-op to find out what happens "when people stop being polite ... and start getting real."

And yes, that sounds kind of hokey now, but you have to remember two things: 1) In 1992, people still believed that stuff like "virtual reality" was a terrifying inevitability (watch "The Lawnmower Man," released in theaters that same year, for proof of this), and 2) It only seems hokey now because "The Real World" existed in the first place.

Yes, for 18 glorious years, the show has constantly re-defined just what reality TV means. Read More...

Tags The Hills, the-real-world, video