JamesG
05-26-2011, 12:02 PM
"Jersey Shore" U.K. Spin-Off, "Geordie Shore", An Instant Hit
by Catherine Lawson
posted May 26th 2011
MTV's new reality show, "Geordie Shore", premiered in the U.K. Tuesday night and pulled in over 330,000 viewers, the largest audience there for the network in over three years.
"Geordie Shore" is based in the North East English city of Newcastle upon Tyne. Locals -- known as "Geordies" -- are renowned for their hard-partying ways and ability to survive the challenging local weather conditions year-round wearing as few clothes as possible.
Like its U.S. predecessor, the show has attracted huge controversy amid fears that it portrays its host location in an unfavorable light.
'The Sun' newspaper reports that the premiere episode, which featured the eight cast members --a.k.a. "lads and lasses" -- making out, boozing, vomiting and stripping, has already spawned a Facebook page highly critical of the show and a petition to get it taken off the air.
Four thousand people have signed the petition and almost 20,000 have joined the Facebook page, 'R.I.P. Geordie Pride,' with outraged Geordies posting comments like "We can no longer be proud to have a Geordie accent after these idiots embarrass us on TV" and "Hope the idiots in Geordie Shore are hanging their heads in shame. The only thing they have achieved is being hated by the true Geordies."
Over at MTV, however, execs are celebrating the record ratings, which dwarf their average audience numbers -- most MTV shows pull in around 79,000 viewers in the U.K. And, although MTV initially said "Geordie Shore" would be only "loosely based" on "Jersey Shore", the lads and lasses certainly seem to have been majorly inspired by the guidos and guidettes.
The U.K. cast display a lot of hair and a lot of flesh, and seem to be way more into the gym and tanning aspect of G.T.L. than might have been expected.
There's even a Geordie version of Snooki, 23-year old Sophie, who's described as a "pint-sized bundle of fun," who "has no problem dancing on tables or flashing her boobs."
Then there's Jay (25), who is "rarely pictured with his top on, but who can blame him with a body as buff as his? 'Whoever' and 'Whenever' is his mantra in life." Remind you of someone?
With the "Jersey Shore" gang currently attracting a lot of negative press only a short flight away in Italy maybe they could head on over to visit their British counterparts.
A "Shore" crossover on a Friday night out in Newcastle's legendary Bigg Market would surely horrify the locals, but it could be ratings gold for MTV.
http://www.aoltv.com/2011/05/26/jersey-shore-u-k-spin-off-geordie-shore-an-instant-hit/
by Catherine Lawson
posted May 26th 2011
MTV's new reality show, "Geordie Shore", premiered in the U.K. Tuesday night and pulled in over 330,000 viewers, the largest audience there for the network in over three years.
"Geordie Shore" is based in the North East English city of Newcastle upon Tyne. Locals -- known as "Geordies" -- are renowned for their hard-partying ways and ability to survive the challenging local weather conditions year-round wearing as few clothes as possible.
Like its U.S. predecessor, the show has attracted huge controversy amid fears that it portrays its host location in an unfavorable light.
'The Sun' newspaper reports that the premiere episode, which featured the eight cast members --a.k.a. "lads and lasses" -- making out, boozing, vomiting and stripping, has already spawned a Facebook page highly critical of the show and a petition to get it taken off the air.
Four thousand people have signed the petition and almost 20,000 have joined the Facebook page, 'R.I.P. Geordie Pride,' with outraged Geordies posting comments like "We can no longer be proud to have a Geordie accent after these idiots embarrass us on TV" and "Hope the idiots in Geordie Shore are hanging their heads in shame. The only thing they have achieved is being hated by the true Geordies."
Over at MTV, however, execs are celebrating the record ratings, which dwarf their average audience numbers -- most MTV shows pull in around 79,000 viewers in the U.K. And, although MTV initially said "Geordie Shore" would be only "loosely based" on "Jersey Shore", the lads and lasses certainly seem to have been majorly inspired by the guidos and guidettes.
The U.K. cast display a lot of hair and a lot of flesh, and seem to be way more into the gym and tanning aspect of G.T.L. than might have been expected.
There's even a Geordie version of Snooki, 23-year old Sophie, who's described as a "pint-sized bundle of fun," who "has no problem dancing on tables or flashing her boobs."
Then there's Jay (25), who is "rarely pictured with his top on, but who can blame him with a body as buff as his? 'Whoever' and 'Whenever' is his mantra in life." Remind you of someone?
With the "Jersey Shore" gang currently attracting a lot of negative press only a short flight away in Italy maybe they could head on over to visit their British counterparts.
A "Shore" crossover on a Friday night out in Newcastle's legendary Bigg Market would surely horrify the locals, but it could be ratings gold for MTV.
http://www.aoltv.com/2011/05/26/jersey-shore-u-k-spin-off-geordie-shore-an-instant-hit/