★★★★★ 0/5

Truth test for The Shire

Now the shock is over, attention turns to The Shire's authenticity.

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The Shire hasn’t managed to leave the spotlight since its debut on Monday, with a slew of press on the show.

While TEN will be buoyed by the chatter it has attracted, most of it has been negative (insert that line about all publicity being good publicity here.).

Most reviews were negative and as some editorials have noted, the chatter has included much comment about how people would decline to watch the new Dramality show again.

While it didn’t win its timeslot, it did top the demos it was after, which suits TEN.

Sutherland Shire mayor Carol Provan kept up her assault on the show, appearing on Nine’s Today show amongst others, but declining an interview for TEN News.

But ACA and News Limited has turned its attention to the question of whether the cast actually live in The Shire.

The Daily Telegraph speculates that 7 of the 15 cast members live outside the area, including buxom girls Sophie and Vernesa.

TEN confirmed Sophie lives and works in Rhodes, while Vernesa works at Westfield Miranda but calls Lansvale home.

David Mott said subjects could “live, work or play” in The Shire.

“It was not a prerequisite that they were all born and raised in the Sutherland Shire,” he said.

“It was a prerequisite that they were part of the community, which they are.”

The Herald Sun theorises Gaby and Mitch (real name Dean) were still together in June and not split as the show suggested -but it could well be a reunited pair in a photograph taken well after the premiere episode was filmed.

YourTV reckons producers built a fake Fusion Night Spot in a hotel dressed up to look like Fusion. This, a source says, “allowed them to control who came in and who was a part of the scene at all times”.

These points do demonstrate the show has got everybody talking, but that the audience will hold the show to account on the blurred lines between real and non-real.

10 Responses

  1. I love shows like TOWIE and Made In Chelsea but I was really surprised how good this was. The botox babes were really funny and I really felt for Mitch’s ex-girlfriend, she is way out if his league

  3. I watched The Shire expecting entertainment and got it. It isn’t a documentary and we all know that ‘reality’ shows stretch the truth and manipulate people and situations to get a certain result.
    Seriously, does it really require such scrutiny?
    It’s like looking for the nutritional value in a jam donut.

  4. I said i wouldnt be commenting on this again,but here i am.Ive really got to agree with you MrME,that its just tv.People need to remember that tv is about entertainment and we dont need to take it so seriously.There should be enough on television to suit everyones different tastes.

  6. I don’t care whether Sophie and Vanessa are true Shire girls or not, they are hysterical and the only good (*cough*) thing about the show.
    I will be devastated if they both don’t get Logie nominations next year!

  7. Thankyou for the reminder. I will vote with my remote and not tune in again. I would think Ten are not happy with the result of only 900,000 after so much publicity. It will drop next week by at least 20% – but maybe more !

    Lara Bingle – so so. Shire – fail. Lets wait for Puberty Blues !!

  8. So they “live, work or play in the shire”…it seems like a fair response.

    I just think we should all be careful before we start throwing around phrases like “not born and bred in the shire” or “not from around here”.

    Does anyone remember what happened in Cronulla last time people accused others of “not being born and bred in the shire”?

    Carol Provan, Mayor of The Shire seems to be leading the charge on this theme, despite being born in Campsie and being raised in Bankstown. She was even crowned “Miss Bankstown in 1964”

    Judging by the racist comments and threats of (horrific) violence being posted on FaceBook and Twitter, The Shire (TV) has once again exposed the big white violent and racist elephant in the room. The people who post those comments are displaying behaviour far worse than the tanned, bouncy and tattooed cast of the show.

    It’s just TV. Let’s calm down before we need to start quoting the late Rodney King “can’t we all just get along”

    Vote with the remote. Easy.

  9. I think this show is the real thing…genuine fake boobs, genuine fake lips, a genuine enhanced nose…c’mon its genuine trashy car crash tv at it very best (worst)

    All these so called reality shows are “cast”, have contrived (fake) tension and are so far detached from reality. Don’t forget the 2 endings for MKR this year how crap was that?

    At least this show is a parody of itself and doesn’t pretend otherwise…imo

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