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Jersey Shore‘s Vinny Guadagnino is getting his own MTV talk show.

Considered the most sensitive of the Shore boys, Vinny will star in a hybrid talk/reality series for the network titled The Show with Vinny.

The project will tweak the usual talk format by taking celebrities out of the studio and having Vinny interview them in his Staten Island home with his colorful Italian family. Celebrity guests will come over for a meal and candid conversation, with lots of commentary from his hostess mother Paula, his partying Uncle Nino and others.

“Vinny’s unique mix of humor, intelligence, curiosity and heart make him the perfect choice for this genre busting take on the interview format,” said Chris Linn, MTV executive vp of programming and head of production. “As the lives of the Jersey Shore cast evolve, we are excited to explore new ground while still delivering the laughs and surprises that fans have come to expect from the franchise.”

Vinny will also appear on the upcoming fundraising special Restore the Shore (more details on that here). The Nov. 15th special encourage viewers to contribute to the rebuilding of Seaside Heights, the main location of MTV’s hit Jersey Shore, which will soon air its final episode.

The Show with Vinny is executive produced by Jersey Shore producer SallyAnn Salsano, along with MTV’s Jacquelyn French, and will represent the third series spawned from party-hearty reality show. There’s also Snooki & JWoww, which returns for its second season Jan. 8, and The Pauly D Project. Shore is MTV’s highest-rated series ever and continues to perform strong on Thursday nights, averaging 3.5 million viewers.

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The cast of Jersey Shore is reuniting for an MTV fundraiser to help victims of Hurricane Sandy.

The effort will include a live one-hour special featuring the Shore cast along with other celebrity guests encouraging viewers to aid New Jersey relief efforts. Last week’s mega-storm devastated Seaside Heights where several editions of the reality hit was filmed, including the current final season.

MTV is partnering on the fundraiser with Architecture for Humanity, a non-profit that provides design and construction services after natural disasters. The organization is creating a “Restore the Shore” fund to collect donations for helping reconstruct the Seaside Heights boardwalk, as well as supporting the re-building efforts of businesses and residents in the area.

The “Restore the Shore” special airs live on Thursday, Nov. 15 from MTV’s Times Square Studio. Viewers will be encouraged to donate online or via text message during and after the event. Architecture for Humanity intends to work with the Borough of Seaside Heights to award rebuilding grants to local contractors, similar to its relief efforts in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. On Friday, NBC aired a Sandy fundraiser featuring live musical guests that helped raise $23 million. READ FULL STORY »

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MTV is speaking out about its decision to conclude its top-rated series Jersey Shore. Below, the network’s executive vp of programming Chris Linn reveals why the reality phenomenon is coming to a close this year, teases final season storylines, reveals how much Snooki actually lived in the house and what’s next for the network.

EntertainmentWeekly: Why is MTV ending Shore?
Chris Linn: We’ve always said we’d do the show for as long as it made sense. We noticed what was going on in their lives, with Nicole (Snooki) having her baby, the relationships, etc. it felt like the right time to bring it to a close and end on a high note.

How much was the rising cost of the cast a factor?
Linn: It hasn’t been a significant consideration. The show still dominates, it’s the No. 1 show in our core demo, it’s still incredibly successful. It’s really about their lives evolving and changing in a way that moves them away from the original conceit of the show. As successful as the show is, we don’t want to be in a situation where we’re milking every ratings point out of a franchise until the end. Our audience demands reinvention and is always looking for what’s new. As tempting as it is to squeeze something to the end, we made what we think is the right, tough choice to end the show on top.

There’s been some conflicting reports about when the cast was told. When did they know for sure?
Linn: There’s been a sense for awhile this could be the last season. We didn’t really make a final decision until near the end of shooting. We just recently confirmed the information [to the cast].

How did the cast react? READ FULL STORY »