Our state is once again becoming the backdrop for a major reality television series. Netflix has greenlit development of The Leftovers, a new show from SallyAnn Salsano, the producer who brought us the iconic Jersey Shore franchise.
The series will film throughout New Jersey and center on a tight-knit group of friends who've grown up together in the Garden State. According to Deadline, these lifelong companions find themselves at a pivotal moment as they come together to prepare for the first wedding among their circle.
With an international wedding looming, the show promises to explore how old friendships withstand the test of time, how relationships shift and change, and what it truly means to leave youth behind. The central question driving the series: who will embrace adulthood, and who will get left behind?
The Leftovers is currently in active and ongoing development at Netflix, joining a slate of new unscripted programming the streaming giant is expected to greenlight. While the title is still a working designation, the project previously carried the name A Shore Thing — also the title of a novel by Jersey Shore star Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi.
Despite surface similarities and the shared producer, this represents an entirely new venture separate from the Seaside Heights phenomenon that made household names of Snooki, Pauly D, JWoww, Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino, Sammi Giancola, Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, and Vinny Guadagnino.
Salsano's 495 Productions will produce the series, with Salsano serving as executive producer. The company has built an impressive reality television portfolio beyond Jersey Shore's original six-season run from 2009 to 2012 and the subsequent Jersey Shore: Family Vacation, which aired eight seasons on MTV before concluding earlier this year with an 18-episode final season.
The production company's credits include Fox's The Snake, hosted by Jim Jeffries, which ran for one season last year, as well as VH1's Martha and Snoop's Potluck Dinner. They've also created numerous Jersey Shore spinoffs including Double Shot at Love, Floribama Shore, and Buckhead Shore. Currently, 495 Productions is working on Reality Retreat for Amazon, featuring alumni from The Real Housewives, Selling Sunset, Vanderpump Rules, and The Chrisleys.
For Netflix, The Leftovers represents another investment in the reality ensemble format. The streaming service launched Calabasas Confidential earlier this year and premiered Members Only: Palm Beach in December.
As development continues, New Jersey residents can look forward to seeing our communities showcased once again on a global platform — this time through a lens focused on the universal experience of growing up and growing apart.
About the Author
Ava Hart
Ava Hart is a pop culture junkie and loves to share what's happening in Hollywood and what trends are taking the world by storm.
