No ‘Jersey Shore’ redux; beach town wary of new reality show

SEASIDE HEIGHTS, N.J. – Some residents of a shore town stung by MTV’s “Jersey Shore” are wary about plans by a bar featured in that series to hold a casting call for a new reality show.

The Bamboo Bar in Seaside Heights is looking for “loud and fun” single people at a casting call Saturday.

The planned show is tentatively titled “I Love Summer” and would follow roommates who work on the beach during the day and at the bar at night, according to a Bamboo Bar social media posting.

Bamboo Bar owner John Saddy told the Asbury Park Press (http://on.app.com/2m2tDA9 ) that it’s not as wild as “Jersey Shore,” which debuted in 2009 and focused on a group of young Italian-Americans at a New Jersey shore house.

“It’s basically a ‘Vanderpump Rules,’ East Coast version, where everybody works at one place,” Saddy said. “It’s not as crazy as ‘Jersey Shore,’ and it’s a different audience and it’s a little older.”

Bravo’s “Vanderpump Rules” is a spinoff of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” about the staff of a West Hollywood restaurant.

Borough Administrator Christopher Vaz said Seaside Heights won’t support a series that depicts it negatively. He said the town is trying to move beyond the raunchy image that “Jersey Shore” showed.

“We’re not looking to promote a series that contradicts our family image,” Vaz said.

Saddy said he would not allow filming without the town’s permission.

“We’re not at the permit stage,” Saddy said. “We want to get the OK from the show and then present it to the town.”