Last December, The Jersey Shore became a pop culture phenomenon. Not only do the juiced up and overly-tan Italian-American cast members have a hit show, they’ve made the rounds on the late night talk show circuit, re-enacted the Best Picture nominated films, and introduced a new dance craze.
Now other proud hyphenated American groups want to cash in on the of-the-moment fervor and as a result there have been several casting calls for shows that are using The Jersey Shore formula. We’ve already told you about the L.E.S. version, but after the jump we’ve rounded up other shows that are in the works and added one that we’d like to see.
The Asian-American Version
Found in the Help Wanted section of LA’s Craigslist, Tyrese Gibson’s HQ Pictures is looking for “beautiful Asian-Americans with lively, strong, and unique personalities between the ages of 18 to 30 with equally interesting life stories and perspectives to share.” But that’s not all folks. They’re also encouraging those who “are not Asian but are obsessed with Asian culture or people in some way” to apply as well. We think that part is way creepy.
The Russian-American Version As reported by the New York Post and the New Yorker, Brighton Beach, which aspires to be the Russian-American Jersey Shore, is in pre-production. According to the New Yorker article, the goal of the casting process is to “create a microcosm of the former Soviet Union in the house.” Um…okay. We would love to see this show do well so that the Brighton Beach cast could go shot for shot with The Jersey Shore cast.
The Geriatric-American Version This is not the one we made up — it is real and debuting on WeTV later this month. Called Sunset Daze, the show follows seven single seniors in Sun City, Arizona as they drink, date, and prove that they “aren’t dead.” It even features a former nun! With the tag line “The Golden Years Just Got More Golden” we may have to check out at least one episode of this series.
The Persian-American Version Amazingly, The Persian Version is the actual name of the proposed show. Currently casting in Beverly Hills and produced by the team behind The Jersey Shore, the press release stipulates that the ideal cast members will be “Los Angeles proud Persian-Americans who rule the Hollywood nightlife and own Beverly Hills.” The best thing about the press release? The media contact is a guy lady named Shaggy. (Our apologies for calling you a guy.)
The Cajun-American Version Other than the fact that the show would probably need subtitles, we propose a Cajun version. Just think about it: these are the people who coined the term “Laissez les bon temps rouler.” And they live in the same state as Bourbon Street. Need we say more?
What spin-offs would you like to see? Let us know in comments.