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In 2009, Jersey Shore forever changed the world of reality television. Now, the roommates continue to entertain the masses with Jersey Shore: Family Vacation. Find out what makes the MTV reality series so beloved by fans. 

Mike 'The Situation' Sorrentino, Pauly DelVecchio, Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi, Vinny Guadagnino, Jenni 'JWoww' Farley, and Angelina Pivarnick
Mike ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino, Pauly DelVecchio, Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi, Vinny Guadagnino, Jenni ‘JWoww’ Farley, and Angelina Pivarnick | Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for SiriusXM

‘Jersey Shore’ is one of MTV’s top-rated reality series 

Jersey Shore premiered on MTV in December 2009. The reality series put eight strangers in a house for the summer, very much like The Real World. But what producer SallyAnn Salsano didn’t realize was that she had stumbled upon magic. 

According to MTV, Jersey Shore is the number one show across all television and the network’s highest-rated series ever. MTV continued to see chart-topping success with the reboot of the series, Jersey Shore: Family Vacation.

‘Jersey Shore’s authenticity keeps viewers coming back 

Ironically, some fans think Jersey Shore is a scripted series. “I think we [are] the realest reality show,” Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi told Bustle in 2018. “I can watch every other reality show and tell you, ‘That’s not real, someone told them to say that.’”

“We don’t have a script,” Pauly DelVecchio added. “Never had a script for 10 years, not even a little bit. Not even a little bit. Everything that happen[s] that we were watching, that sh*t happened.” That authenticity is part of what keeps fans entertained. 

“When I watch reality, I want actual people with their actual problems,” a fan said on Reddit. “I do not want produced storylines. The JS cast was so genuine during the OG run.” 

“I enjoy reality TV — even the semi scripted stuff — but none of it really compares to how genuine the Jersey Shore is,” another fan added, continuing:

The casting was just impeccable. They made up their own catchphrases, had nicknames [and] all these rituals like GTL, t-shirt time, Sunday dinner. [The show] just marketed itself. They weren’t perfectly put together and polished, [but] they looked like regular people

Fans love the bond the cast of ‘Jersey Shore’ has

For one fan, it’s all about the family dynamic the cast of Jersey Shore shares. “The comedy, the drama, the family bond, and the simple fact that you can’t script drunken messes,” they said. “It’s the realest reality show to ever be on TV and people recognize that.”

Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi is the best part of ‘Jersey Shore’ for many fans

Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi was the driving force behind many people’s decision to tune in to the show. 

“When Snooki got punched in the face, it went viral,” a fan pointed out. “It was all over every media source at the time. If she didn’t get punched in the face, I don’t know if the show would [have] pulled in so much traction, but they are all hilarious and awful, and it’s entertaining to watch.” 

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While most fans adore Polizzi, there’s an appreciation for many other roommates, too. 

“Most of them were practically made for reality tv,” another fan said. “Mike [‘The Situation’ Sorrentino] in the OG run was seriously so effortlessly funny — same with Snooki. They didn’t care what anyone thought and had some of the best scenes that drew people in. Pauly D too.” 

Thanks to the perfect casting and the show’s ability to authentically capture their reality, Jersey Shore has become MTV’s smash success.

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