Last year, eight Southern lovers of debauchery and heavy doses of liquor on CMT's "Party Down South" tortured the residents of Murrells Inlet, S.C.
The producers, for season two, tried to land on the spring break beaches of Pensacola, Fla. but the city basically rejected them by making it impossible for them to find a residence for the cast to party in. So the show spent a month instead this spring in Athens. There's no beach but no shortage of beer in a college town.
The show debuted last night on CMT.
None of the cast members are from Georgia. Four hail from Louisiana while the others represent North Carolina, Kentucky, Mississippi and Alabama.
The show is very much like a Southern-spun version of "Jersey Shore" and is created by the same producers.
The first episode showed virtually nothing of Athens itself. The home they chose was deliberately remote surrounded by 10 acres of forest so there would be no neighbors to disturb.
"My office didn't receive any calls or complaints from citizens about it," said Athens city spokesman Jeff Montgomery. He said the city encouraged the production company to place the show in a locale far from civilization.
Montgomery understood most of the show was taped at the house.
And even when they went into the city and visited bars and restaurants, Montgomery heard no overt complaints. And there were no reported arrests that he knows of. The Athens Herald Banner reported nothing I could find about the show while it was in production.
As of Friday morning, Montgomery had yet to view the episode, which the office taped. "Honestly," he said, "I don't have cable."
They house, cast member Lauren White said, "looks like a redneck resort." The porch is festooned in Red Solo cups and features a fridge with the word "Beer" written on it. The front yard includes tires and a toilet with flowers planted in them. Ryan "Daddy" Richards christens the toilet with his own urine. I'm sure those flowers won't last long.
"Let's get this party started!" Lyle Boudreaux yelped.
So here we go with beer pong, beer bongs and something called a beer-zooka.
There's a pool and a hot tub in the back - of course.
Most everyone get quickly wasted. Daddy gets all depressed over the fact "Lil Bit" has a boyfriend. Murray gets naked for no particular reason. Lyle giggles on the kitchen floor, then strips down and passes out on the stairs. "Georgia hold on tight. We are coming in, the Hot Mess Express, choo choo!" exclaims Mattie.
The previews for the rest of the season features mud bogging, zip-lining, Lake Lanier partying, foot licking and a side trip to a place with an actual beach: Cabo San Lucas. Oh, and lots of yelling and fighting. I mean, that's what you expect, right?
On TV
"Party Down South," 10 p.m. Thursdays, CMT
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