MTV goes spin-off crazy with three ‘Jersey Shore’ castmembers
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Like a fine tan, “Jersey Shore” gets better with spin-offs? MTV sure thinks so.
The network announced Thursday that it has greenlighted new series featuring cast members Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, Jenni “JWoww” Farley and Paul “J Pauly D” Delvecchio. Here we thought Lean Cuisine and Juice Box would be the ones getting a deal! Maybe next time, pooches! For now, the russett-colored stars are continuing their 15 minutes.
‘It was kind of a no-brainer,’ Chris Linn, the network’s executive vice president of programming and head of production, told ShowTracker. ‘I think we have breakout stars in all of our cast members.’
Uh, so where are their shows? Could this put a dent in Mike ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino’s ego? Linn said the network is in talks with ‘a lot’ of the cast members about developing shows.
‘There was no real strategy as far as who got a show first,’ Linn said. ‘[Mike] obviously has had a busy schedule with ‘Dancing with the Stars.’ These were ready to go.’
So what can viewers expect? One show will follow the adventures of our favorite book-writing, pickle-eating meatball (a.k.a. Snooki) and her behind-the-bar-peeing best buddy JWoww once they leave the Shore. It’s sure to be 12 episodes of wahhhs! and boobs as the friends shack up in a house together. (We’re just thankful it isn’t Ronnie and Sammi.)
Linn described Pauly D’s venture, also 12 epsiodes, as a ‘reality ‘Entourage.’’ It will follow his life on the road as “one of the country’s most in-demand DJs” And we’ll be introduced to some of his Rhode Island friends, which surely means we’ll be forced to learn a new acronym.
The untitled reality projects, executive produced by SallyAnn Salsano (the almighty queen of “Jersey Shore”) of 495 Productions, will begin production this year and will debut in 2012.
For those who take the news as a signal for the end of ‘Jersey Shore,’ don’t start the mourning (or fist-pumping celebration) just yet. When asked whether the projects might affect the hit MTV reality series, Linn said: ‘We don’t think it will. We do have deals with the cast to continue ‘Jersey Shore,’ and we think these projects can coexist with it. ‘Jersey Shore’ is really about their experience over just a summer. It’s one piece of their lives. These show’s will show the other pieces.’
‘’Jersey Shore,’ he added, ‘will go on for as long as they’re having fun.’
The fun might be difficult to achieve in Italy, where they’ll be based for the upcoming season, considering all the hullabaloo about their arrival. But things are ‘on schedule,’ Linn assured. Recent reports suggested the trip would be delayed.
‘It always takes time to hone in on the right locations,’ he said. ‘We do expect to start shooting at the end of this month. It’ll be quite the adventure.’
— Yvonne Villarreal
twitter.com/villarrealy
