Currently broadcasting its Fifth Series, I can't help but wonder what the shelf-life of Jersey's Shore British remake,
Geordie Shore. Although it has only been on the air less than two years, reality shows often burn bright and fast, especially those which are spin-offs/adaptations of others. Although I've watched
Geordie Shore from the beginning I'm only really continuing to invest in it to make the transition to post-
Jersey Shore life more bearable. However, I'm finding, more and more,
Geordie Shore is providing very little solace. The remake is, sadly, unable to match the success of its predecessor and although it continues to be a ratings hit for MTV UK, there are several aspects of the show's premise which really annoy me, even though I enjoy it for the most part.
5. Jersey Shore is a Summer Holiday
Jersey Shore, both the show and the location, screams summer! Even the seasons that did not take place in Jersey (Miami, Season Two. Italy, Season Four) were still filmed around AprilJune time and took place just before the Jersey seasons. So, not only did they have a Spring Break-esque holiday feel but also that summer anticipation that they will soon be going back to Jersey.
Geordie Shore, on the other hand, has more of an Im going back into that house down the road and will get to lie in bed and do nothing for a month.
Jersey Shore provided the viewers a sense of escapism because they themselves were escaping their urban, New York/New Jersey/New England hometowns and going a summer hotspot. Here in the UK, we are a much smaller country with pretty uniform weather throughout. Thus, British people rarely summer in Britain, especially young people, who will go to Mediterranean party towns such as Ibiza, Magaluf, Zante and Ayia Napa. Whilst, understandably, the producers wouldnt have wanted the whole show based abroad, they could have opted for a UK resort which still has some holiday reputation, such as Blackpool or Brighton, both of which are shore cities. However, heres the problem, neither city has particularly distinctive locals. In the UK, northerners have the strongest local identities (Geordies, Scousers, Scots) but, honestly, northern cities are kind of, well, rough. Geordie Shore would have fared much better, and appeared much more original, had it not tried to stay too faithful to the Shore concept.