The Kardashians: Billion Dollar Dynasty | Preview (Channel 4)

The Kardashians are arguably the most influential family of the 21st century and certainly one of the most profitable.

Their sagas have kept us gripped for the past 15 years, and this two-part series explores how they have defied their critics to build a family brand that has changed the face of social media and earned them stratospheric wealth.

Rarely seen archive material and candid interviews with close friends and industry insiders tells the remarkable story of how the Kardashians captured the world's imagination and became billionaires, starting with a sex tape and ending in the White House.

In the first episode, we join Kim Kardashian in 2007, when she was a relative unknown, living in LA and working as Paris Hilton's assistant. Her former publicist, Sheeraz Hasan, says she was driven by one goal - to become the most famous woman in the world, while journalists and producers reveal the conversations they had with Kim about the infamous sex tape and the role this played in getting Keeping Up with the Kardashians commissioned.

We hear about the Kardashians' single-minded drive to gain as much publicity as possible, and how they monetised this through a series of endorsements. Close friends and associates of 'momager' Kris Jenner from the 80s and 90s describe the origins of her relentless drive for fame and wealth.

Plus how the 'share all' philosophy she instilled in her children ultimately culminated in a backlash when Kim was accused of having a fraudulent wedding with basketball star Kris Humphries, purely to boost ratings.

The second episode of this two-part programme will be available to stream or download on All 4, for free, following the transmission of this episode on Sunday 8th January.