In December 2009, MTV was ready to flip the script on reality TV, and that’s exactly what they did with the premiere of Jersey Shore. The series was launched Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, Vinny Guadagnino, Jenni “JWoww” Farley, Angelina Pivarnick, Paul “DJ Pauly D” Delvecchio, Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, Samantha “Sammi Sweetheart” GiancolaAnd Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino — and they didn’t waste anytime shaking things up.
Season 1 Jersey ShoreThe event took place in Seaside Heights New Jersey. The group was monitored by 35 remote-controlled cameras, 12 hand-helds, one IMX camera and six DV cameras — and those cameras captured all the drama as it unfolded.
Season 2 was spent in South Beach, Florida. Season 4 was spent in Florence, Italy. The location wasn’t the only thing that kept changing, though. Pivarnick was evicted after refusing work during season 1, and she returned for season 2. However, she left the house after getting into arguments with Sorrentino as well as Polizzi.
Although she didn’t appear in seasons 3 and 4, she was a guest in seasons 5 & 6. Deena Nicole CorteseThe cast included me in the third season of the series and I stayed on the show for the rest.
Since the reality hit was such a success, it led to many other iterations and spinoffs, including the U.K.’s Geordie ShoreThis was launched in 2011; it is still in operation.
Polizzi and Farley’s friendship was documented in Snooki & JWowwThe series aired for four seasons, from 2012 to 2015. The Pauly D ProjectThe show followed DelVecchio on his journey to become a DJ and aired one season in 2012.
MTV launched a brand new series in 2018. Jersey Shore Family Vacation, following the original cast — sans Giancola — as they went on vacation together, traveling to Las Vegas, Seaside Heights and Atlantic City.
“We started this all together and I would have loved to have finished it together because now everyone thinks it’s because of me she didn’t come back, but it’s because she has a boyfriend,” Ortiz-Magro told Us WeeklyHis ex-partner did not participate in the show. “She didn’t want to return because of her new relationship.”
Take a look at the gallery below to see how each cast member has evolved over the years.
