MTV has canceled Buckwild , its controversial new reality show about a group of young, hard-partying West Virginians going … well, Buckwild . The final straw was the accidental death of cast member Shain Gandee , which producer J.P. Williams says is as baffling as it is hypocritical. “This is the network that has shows about teen pregnancy,” Williams told The Hollywood Reporter , referring to hit shows 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom . “They’ll stick by a show that allows you to abandon a child, but a kid dies by accident – doing what he does for a living – and they cancel the show?!” “There’s something that smells of s–t here on every level.” He makes a valid point that could also be summed up in two words: Jenelle Evans . The show was mired in bad PR long before Gandee died, however. Just 21 years old, Gandee was found dead April 1 in his Ford Bronco along with his uncle David Gandee, 28, and pal Donald Robert Myers, 27. The trio suffered carbon monoxide poisoning and died after the vehicle became stuck in mud during a “mudding” (or off-road driving) excursion. Williams, who manages most of Buckwild’s cast and produces the show, says MTV told him as of Friday that it intended to NOT cancel the series. However, by Tuesday, the network had clearly changed course. “There was no explanation,” says Williams, who intends to continue shooting the series, in hopes of airing it elsewhere, and maybe even finance a film. “My job is to protect these kids,” he said, ” this will get ugly .”
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MTV Cancels Buckwild, Producer RIPS Network
