MTV Greenlights ‘Jersey Shore Family Vacation’-Inspired Series

MTV is banking on the success of Jersey Shore Family Vacation with four similar new series.

The cable network has ordered four unscripted series with similar premises to the hit reality revival, with two fo the four shows set far away from New York and L.A. — Decatur, Indiana and Pike County, Kentucky — at a time when Middle America is a hot demo for television.

“What’s happening in the middle of the country is so different than what’s happening on the coasts,” MTV/VH1 president Chris McCarthy told Variety. “We are always looking for interesting and authentic subcultures that gives us a look at youth culture in this country.”

Thursday nights have become a beacon of hope for the network, bringing them back from a long ratings slump. The Jersey Shore reunion series has averaged 2.1 million viewers per episode since its premiere, according to Variety.

McCarthy revealed they strategically programmed it in the 8 p.m. slot to allow it to serve as the anchor of a night where MTV saw an opening for big-tent unscripted series. Jersey Shore and its new 9 p.m. companion Ex on the Beach have created a solid foundation.

“We want to double down on big franchise shows and build a massive night,” McCarthy said.

The new series will start to premiere in June through the fall, starting with Too Stupid to Die. The new series revolves around the antics of daredevil Zach Holmes and his young-guy friends in Decatur. The show reportedly has a vague resemblance to Jackass, but with an emphasis on the lives of five young men and one woman who are part of Holmes’ core circle.

The half-hour episodes will air as an hourlong stack.

“They’re fun. This is a really interesting subculture and hopefully they won’t get us into too much trouble,” MCarthy joked.

Made in Kentucky revolves around a core group of six young men and women who are at the crossroads of finishing high school and trying to figure out the next steps in their lives. The rural setting allows for new perspectives not often seen on MTV, although the show is not politically charged.

“MTV at its core is a showcase of youth culture and coming of age stories,” McCarthy said. “That’s what this show is.”

It’s expected to premiere in July.

Back on the East Coast, MTV will head to Staten Island 10310 in August to follow a group of young adults in the New York City borough that has a small town feel despite its proximity to the big city.

Staten Island’s population is famously a mix of law enforcement and firefighters with those involved in less-than-legal occupations.

“In many ways life on the island has such a different texture than the rest of New York,” McCarthy said. “We get to see another side of these kids who are very scrappy.”

Finally, Just the Tattoo of Us will be a new competition show for the network. Based on an international format, the series challenges couples, friends and family members to design tattoos for one another. The participants won’t get a look at the image until after it is inked onto their bodies.

MTV’s interest in the property was sparked by research indicating that millennials and Gen Z-ers are among the nation’s most heavily decorated people and that friends and lovers often get new tattoos together. Tattoo of Us is aiming for a fall premiere.

Jersey Shore Family Vacation has been renewed for season two.

“The first piece of this Thursday strategy has exceeded our expectations,” McCarthy said. “We are excited to build on that with these new shows.”