Even with the recently-announced Snooki/JWoww and Pauly D spin-offs confirmed, MTV is not slowing down its original “Jersey Shore” cash cow.
The network confirmed that the season four premiere, based on footage from the current film cycle in Italy, will be on Thursday, August 4. The show will retain the 10PM slot that made it a cable juggernaut.
Also established is production on season five, which will take place later this summer in the show’s original Seaside Heights locale. That would mark the third season to follow the cast at the Jersey Shore, with the two exceptions being the Italian season and the second season, which was set in Miami.
Of note will be how the show performs in the ratings for season four. Its average has grown each season, but its ratings did peak in advance of the season finale during the third cycle, so it is possible it might not have much room to improve for the fourth go-around. Granted, the ratings also peaked ahead of the season two finale (though it came far later in the season), so it might not be wise to predict the season four numbers based on the season three trajectory.
Plus, with the buzz stemming from the trip to Italy, the four-and-a-half month absence from television and the reduced television competition in the summer, one should definitely not rule out a monstrous premiere this August.
Can’t wait! Gotta love Jersey shore.