This spring, young-adult drama in Philadelphia will not be confined to college campuses.
The Real World, MTV's hit reality television show, is coming to the city for its 15th season on the air, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The shooting of The Real World will reportedly take place in Philadelphia's Old City and will likely run from April to at least the end of July.
In the show, seven strangers, all of whom are 18 to 24 years old, are chosen nationwide from an open applicant pool. The participants then live together in a real-world environment over the course of several months.
According to Colorado's Summit Daily News, casting for the 15th season is still in progress. Given the locality of the show, Penn students are excited at the prospect of open recruiting.
"It definitely gives good exposure to the city," said Wharton freshman Albert Liu. "It will allow people to view what aspects of the city are prominent, such as the nightlife scene."
"I grew up watching The Real World," College freshman Elizabeth Lambos said. "I don't know if I would ever seriously consider doing it, but it always seems like a fun experiment. It would be cool to be part of that formula."
Liu shared Lambos' enthusiasm. "The celebrity status that comes afterward is enticing," he said, "especially after a show that has become a staple for pop culture."
Currently, open casting is under way in Breckenridge, Colo. The show's producer, Bunim-Murray Productions, is reportedly focusing on "slacker-friendly" Colorado communities whose youth have time to spare.
"I'd heard there are a lot of people who take time off from school there," said Sasha Alpert, vice president of casting for Bunim-Murray, to The Philadelphia Daily News. "And there's actually a place to live there, with people their age around, so it seemed like a good place to come."
Despite several reports in area newspapers, Bunim-Murray publicity company Beck Media & Marketing refused to release official details about the location of the upcoming season.
