'Jersey Shore': Pauly D goes solo

So what’s it about?
Instead of watching him club-hop in Seaside Heights, N.J., viewers will visit Pauly’s hometown of Johnston, R.I. ”They show the world where I come from,” says Pauly D, whose real name is Paul DelVecchio. ”You get to meet my family. You get to meet my friends I grew up with.” The show will also devote a lot of attention to his DJ career, including a residency at the Palms in Las Vegas and gigs on Britney Spears’ Femme Fatale tour. Spears actually appears in one episode (she and Pauly have the same management). ”She’s a friend now,” he says.

Why is this dude getting the first Jersey Shore spin-off?
Project executive producer SallyAnn Salsano, who also oversees Jersey Shore and an upcoming Snooki/J-Woww spin-off, had been thinking about creating side shows for some of Shore‘s cast members since the first season aired. Pauly’s circle of friends and burgeoning DJ career seemed to offer the best story lines. ”He’s taking the steps to take [his career] to the next level,” says MTV’s president of programming and head of production, Chris Linn. ”We’re really just following what’s happening organically in his life.”

What does this all mean for Jersey Shore?
The network recently greenlit a sixth season of the still-popular show, which will film this summer in Seaside Heights. And Salsano insists that these other shows will not affect Jersey Shore‘s future. ”I’d go on as long as they take us,” she says. ”Come on, Weekend at Bernie‘s was a huge hit, and that guy was dead. I’ve got five kids who are alive and kicking. Let’s go to the shore!”