‘Jersey’ sea and now ski
Is the whole show supposed to take place inside a hot tub?
The makers of “Jersey Shore” are busy casting a wacky and wild new pilot. It’s called “Turn Up the Heat.” The show’s team claims the program will be as over-the-top as their long-running Garden State reality series. Only this time the action is set at an East Coast ski resort.
“You partied with us all summer on the shore, and now we’re back to redefine winter,” reads a casting notice. It’s clearly designed to appeal to boozes-willing twentysomethings who aren’t afraid of a little snow.
Sure, “Jersey Shore” was a hit, introducing the world to greased and tanned hairballs like Snooki, JWoww and The Situation. But until viewers got to know them, a big part of the initial appeal was all those madefor-TV bodies. Just like with the casts of “The Real World,” “Survivor” and “Big Brother.”
Even Snooki may have had some sort of sex appeal going on. Because, you know, out of the millions of viewers who tuned into “Jersey Shore,” surely there had to be at least one who thought she was hot.
But a ski slope is a far different setting than a beach. For one thing, everyone is dressed. In layers. “We wouldn’t consider doing ‘Survivor’ in a cold climate,” we were once told by that show’s now-legendary executive producer, Mark Burnett. He admits that a cast’s sex appeal remains at least one element of the success of the reality competition.
Granted, many of the “Survivor” participants were not prime physical specimens. But many, if not most, were.
“On a tropical island it’s difficult to wear that much clothing,” Burnett has said.
Right now there’s no network attached to the ski show — and no guarantee this misguided little project will even make it to the airwaves. But there is a path forward for the booze-swilling, wannabe-reality-TV ski bums. Simply apply for the job at turnupcasting.com. ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• During a “Today” show appearence last week, failed CNN talk show host Piers Morgan told Matt Lauer that he was “itching” to get back on U.S. television.
The ratings-challenged former talk show host brought the issue up again in a column for the Hollywood Reporter, blaming CNN anchor Anderson Cooper for Morgan’s own pathetic ratings. He even whined about the situation Fox News Channel’s “Hannity” program which — of course — led to industry speculation that FNC was interested in hiring him.
“His ratings were terrible on CNN. Obviously [FNC] could do a better show with him, but why would they waste time on someone who already was such a disaster?” And yet... 12 months. That’s how long some industry observers believe it will be before Morgan is employed by Fox.
Either way, CNN officials finally had enough by the end of the week and smacked down their former collegue in rare personal slam.
“It is sad that Piers is trying to find a new job by misrepresenting how he performed in his old one,” a rep said.
Ouch!