The cast of Jersey Shore in Florence, Italy on May 19, 2011.
Time to deflate Snooki’s poof and turn off the tanning beds: reports say producers are shaking up the cast of the show.
According to US Weekly, the Jersey Shore producers are looking to cut their costs by cutting their starlets. With the current cast making as much as $100,000 per show, it’s an expensive endeavor for the studio. And putting up with the crew’s party-hardy lifestyle has become quite a challenge, with producers often having to play damage control even as the cast films in Florence, Italy, 3,000 miles away from the show’s namesake. This prompted a show producer to reveal: “After this group comes back from Italy and shoots season 5 this summer, that will be the end for them.”
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But MTV debunked the rumors, saying they’re not ready to give up the current housemates. “We love the present cast, and their summer adventures have just begun. We currently have no plans to recast the show,” an MTV Network spokesperson said in a statement.
Regardless of the he said/she said, could a reboot catch on? The show took off because of its dynamic stars – we became addicted to the shenanigans of Snooki, DJ Pauly D and J-Woww as they primped themselves with their GTL routines and ran around the boardwalks (and bars) of Seaside Heights. They became famous just for being famous. And there’s no doubt they’ll remain famous, even if they’re yanked off the show. In fact, Snooki, Jenni and Pauly D all have their own shows in the works. Could it be time to clear space for the next generation of guidos and guidettes?