CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin is asking a network not to cast his state in a negative light with a new reality show. Problem is, MTV owner Viacom says it’s not involved in “West Virginia Wilder.”
Manchin said he watched a trailer for the show, which is a reboot of the reality series “Buckwild” that aired on MTV, and sent a letter Thursday to Viacom’s president saying the network can make a compelling show about West Virginia “that does not play into vicious stereotypes.”
Viacom tweeted that it’s not involved in the show and agrees “there are great things happening in the Mountain State!”
The series’ trailer says “West Virginia is back, wonderful and wilder.” It shows an exploding car, bar scenes, a young woman twerking on a motorcycle, someone being shocked with jumper cables and a driver spinning the wheels of a U-Haul in a parking lot.
“West Virginia Wilder” executive producer J.P. Williams said in a statement that “we respect Senator Manchin, but he is obviously just looking for attention again.” Williams, a Morgantown native, said Parallel Entertainment will announce a home for the series next week.
Williams also helped produce “Buckwild,” which was based in Sissonville and Charleston. In December 2012, Manchin had urged the producers to cancel “Buckwild” before it started airing the following month. Manchin said the showed profited off of “poor decisions of our youth.”
“Buckwild” was abruptly canceled in 2013 after one of its stars, Shain Gandee, died of carbon monoxide poisoning when his SUV became stuck in a mud pit with its tailpipe submerged.
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