>Ridgewood Gets its own Reality TV Show and no its not about ,the BOE, VC ,Valley Hospital or the Ridgewood blog
“Brothers on Call” (DIY Network): The cameras trail humorous Ridgewood handymen, Terry and Jon Wittmaack who run a family business, Men Around the House. Their projects can be as grandiose as a kitchen renovation and as minimalist as changing lights bulbs. (Debuts in October)
Published: Tuesday, August 23, 2011, 9:05 AM
Lisa Rose/The Star-Ledger
Reality TV has fixed its gaze on the Garden State.
A place that was once mocked as the home of little more than a turnpike is now a hot spot for unscripted entertainment.
Jersey moxie has evolved into a brand, an attitude that’s celebrated in shows centered on average Joes and Janes with larger-than-life personas.
“The people in New Jersey have so much self-confidence and are completely secure in who they are,” says SallyAnn Salsano, creator of “Jersey Shore,” which features three year-round residents. Production just wrapped on season five in Seaside.
Salsano continues, “They’re not doing anything more than being themselves and that’s what makes a great reality TV character.”
Although Jerseyans, including Gov. Chris Christie, vocally object to the way the state is depicted on TV, the trend remains vibrant, sustained by Snooki’s big ratings.
“New Jersey has become like an industrial ingredient for reality TV,” says Hugh Curnutt, media history professor at Montclair State University. “If you’re in California and you hear about a new reality TV show about New Jersey, you already know that it’s probably about Italian-Americans, family, culture and it will tend to follow the caricatures that are on other shows. That may not be what people want to see but that’s what they’re given to see.”
