MTV Cancels "Buckwild" Following Shain Gandee's Death

[JamesG]

MTV Cancels "Buckwild" Following Star Shain Gandee's Death
4/9/2013
by Lacey Rose


In the wake of "Buckwild" star Shain Gandee's death, MTV has opted to cancel the series, according to a source close to the show.

The news comes more than a week after Gandee, 21, was found dead April 1 in his vehicle, along with his uncle and a friend, after going off-roading, or "mudding," on a remote road in West Virginia.

The local sheriff's office ruled the death was caused by carbon monoxide poisoning, likely caused be the car's tailpipe being submerged in mud.





Production on the MTV show's second season was suspended following the tragic incident, and grief counseling quickly was set up on location for the cast, crew and their families.

At that time, Charleston, West Virginia Mayor Danny Jones urged the network to cancel "Buckwild", noting that "the show only enhanced the negative stereotype the Kanawha Valley already has."





After several days spent weighing the implications of moving forward with the reality show, MTV brass ultimately decided it would be imprudent to do so. The move -- a bid to avoid any potential controversy as well as a recognition that Gandee was the show's breakout star -- comes after a heavily hyped and ultimately successful first season.

In fact, the hope on the part of MTV executives was that "Buckwild" could fill a void left by one-time juggernaut "Jersey Shore".





While "Buckwild" had yet to garner the ratings "Shore" did at its height, it did draw 2.5 million viewers to its January premiere, putting it ahead of the 2009 "Shore" bow (1.4 million) and the opener of spinoff "Snooki & JWoww" (2.4 million).

During the series' first season, "Buckwild" averaged 3.2 million total viewers on a Live+7 basis. Advertisers responded, too, spending a healthy $10 million collectively on ads to run during the show in January, according to Kantar Media.





The West Virginia-based cast was poised to benefit from that success in season two. Gandee and seven fellow castmembers renegotiated their contracts to score a 300 percent raise. Each went from $1,000 an episode in season one to $4,000 an episode in season two, plus a $5,000 bonus, according to multiple sources.

(Salwa Amin, the ninth member of the ensemble, who has been in and out of jail on drug charges, was not part of the re-negotiation.)



According to one series insider, internal conversations were had on the day of Gandee's death about potentially "softening" the show, which has focused on such behavior as off-roading, tire roll-downs and hard partying.

But doing so likely would prove incongruous with the show's brand -- and potentially turn off viewers in the process.

MTV didn't immediately return request for comment.









Update:

The sudden cancellation of MTV’s hit reality series "Buckwild" following star Shain Gandee’s death has producer J.P. Williams livid.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter late Tuesday, Williams, who manages most of the cast members and produces the show, took particular aim at MTV for pulling the plug midway through filming on the second season.



"This is the network that has shows about teen pregnancy. They'll stick by a show that allows you to abandon a child, but a kid dies by accident doing what he does for a living mudding and they cancel the show?" he fumes.

"There's something that smells of s--- here on every level."





According to Williams, his Beverly Hills-based Parallel Entertainment along with production company Zoo Productions were informed Friday that MTV would be moving forward with the series.

At that time, the network had four episodes in the can and was planning to shoot four more plus a special dedicated to Gandee to kick off the season. But Williams says MTV brass followed up Tuesday with a different message for the show’s producers.

The network had opted to cancel the series instead.





“There was no explanation,” he says, still bewildered.

He adds that the cast, which had planned to come to Los Angeles for the MTV Movie Awards this weekend, had not been informed of the news. The network is expected to formally announce the show’s cancellation Wednesday morning.

A special, which was shot before Gandee’s death and was produced by an outside production company, is still expected to air.





Williams, who manages eight of the show’s cast members, including Gandee, does not intend to move on to other projects. In fact, he suggests that he will continue shooting the series and will look to produce a Buckwild film, which he would self-finance if need be.

"My job is to protect these kids," he tells THR, adding: "This will get ugly."

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/liv...tv-will-435869

[JamesG]

MTV Says “Not An Easy Decision” To Cancel "Buckwild"; Special To Air Sunday
by DOMINIC PATTEN
Wednesday April 10, 2013


MTV said today it was “not appropriate” to continue with a second season of "Buckwild" after the death of Shain Gandee. A week after the 21-year old reality show cast member was discovered dead in West Virginia, the network decided Tuesday to permanently pull the plug on the controversial series.

MTV had renewed the hit "Buckwild" for a second season on February 6. However, while there will be no more episodes of the series called “the Jersey Shore Of Appalachia.”

MTV will be airing a special Buckwild: WV To NYC on April 14.



The network says the special was shot before production had began on the show’s now aborted second season and has the blessing of Gandee’s parents.

MTV halted filming on "Buckwild’s" second season on April 1 after Gandee’s body and that of two others were found dead in a car near Sissonville, West Virginia.







MTV's Official Statement:

After careful consideration, MTV will not be moving forward with season two of "Buckwild" in West Virginia. We love the cast and the show and this was not an easy decision, but given Shain’s tragic passing and essential presence on the show, we felt it was not appropriate to continue without him. Instead, we are working on a meaningful way to pay tribute to his memory on our air and privately.

On Sunday, we will be running a special Buckwild: WV To NYC which was shot before production had begun on season two. With the support of his parents, Dale and Loretta Gandee, we will run the tribute following a day of programming dedicated to Shain in which we will air the entire first season of "Buckwild".

"Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time for our family. We have truly felt all the love and know that Shain is resting peacefully. Shain was an incredible, outgoing, and positive person who was loved by whoever he met. We are honored that we were able to let the world see what a wonderful son we had. He was the best son anyone could ask for. As we look to honor him in our lives every day moving forward, we are happy to share some of his last moments doing what he loved best: having fun and making people laugh," said Loretta Gandee.

http://www.deadline.com/2013/04/mtv-...to-air-sunday/

[interman]

You would think killing people would
make them like you but it doesn't. It
just makes them dead...

[TMC]

http://www.buzzfeed.com/kateaurthur/...is-bizarre-and

The network defending its scheduling of a marathon as a tribute to Shain Gandee, saying it got his parents' blessing.

[JamesG]

"Buckwild" Dead: MTV Refuses to Allow Producers to Shop Canceled Series
4/19/2013
by Matthew Belloni , Lacey Rose


It's the end of the line for MTV's "Buckwild".

The hit reality series, which was canceled last week in the wake of star Shain Gandee's death, will not be shopped to other networks, sources tell The Hollywood Reporter.

MTV reps declined a request for comment.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/new...s-allow-443141