Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, June 26, 1995 TAG: 9506260087
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: M. MINDY MORETTI THE WASHINGTON POST
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
After spending the first three seasons in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, ``The Real World'' (Wednesday nights) has packed its bags and headed for London with a new racially and internationally diverse cast.
With a week of filming left to go, Jon Murray, co-creator and co-executive producer (with Mary-Ellis Bunim), was enthusiastic: ``Things are going great. We had a really great welcome from the people in London.''
Through a series of open casting calls, advertisements on MTV Europe, and video clips and letters from viewers, the producers spent four months going through approximately 30,000 applicants until the final seven were chosen. This year's cast includes three Americans, two Brits, a German and an Australian.
Murray said the decision to include Americans in a European show was a practical one.
``A large part of the audience are American young people,'' he said, ``and one of the fantasies and rites of passage (for young Americans) is to go to Europe after high school or college. The Europeans are just as fascinating to the American audience as the American kids. We enter England through the eyes of the people from the United States, which makes the show very accessible.''
Filming, which consists of following the roommates through their daily lives in a voyeuristic, fly-on-the-wall way, began in January and was expected to end June 18.
In the past, controversies have arisen among the roommates over race relations, abortion and personal hygiene.
``The big thing this year is the culture clash,'' Murray said. ``Each year has its own identity, and London is very much a story about the clash of cultures and ultimately that once you get beyond it, that it's no different. There are the same set of problems for everyone.''
(However, an international crisis almost arose when one of the American cast members could not find ranch dressing for salads in the grocery store. He finally decided to have his father ship it to him.)
This year, for the first time, there is a romance between two of the cast members. In previous years there was a great deal of sexual tension between some, but nothing came of it.
``There is something more dramatic this year between an American and a Brit. The story begins in Episode Two, and they are very open and honest about it,'' Murray explained.
This year's cast is once again filled with people who are in some way part of the entertainment industry, which in previous years has led critics to say ``The Real World'' was unrealistic.
``Part of this show has to appeal to people's fantasies,'' Murray saId. ``This is TV; they have to be doing stuff that is interesting to the audience. If you get a bunch of temps or secretaries, I'm sorry, but that would be incredibly boring. We have to deal with the reality of producing a show that appeals to people.''
That's not to say that all of this year's cast sits around and plans a future in the spotlight. Several are forced to get temporary jobs to make ends meet.
``We try to put together a group that is diverse,'' Murray said. ``Our audience ranges from 12 to 30 years old, and we have to have people there for all the audience to relate to either as a brother or sister, or more as a peer.''
This year's cast of characters:
Kat, 19, is an anthropology student from Tacoma, Wash.
Jay, 19, is a playwright from Portland, Ore.
Mike, 21, is a race-car-driving ``frat boy'' from St. Louis.
Neil, 24, is a Ph.D. candidate from Devon, England.
Sharon, 20, is a singer-songwriter from Essex, England.
Lars, 24, is a student-disc jockey from Berlin.
Jacinda, 22, is a model from Australia.
According to Murray, ``There is some juicy stuff that happens this year. It's one of the most entertaining casts that we've had.''
And there's good news for the show's fans: MTV has approached the producers about a fifth season.
by CNB