Buckwild Producer Reaction To MTV Cancelling Show Without Explanation: “This Will Get Ugly”
April 10, 2013 by Hollywoodite
Earlier today, TMZ.com broke the news that MTV would be pulling the plug on production of Buckwild shortly after suspending filming out of respect for the death of a cast member. Gandee, 21, died “mudding,” also known as “mud bogging,” which is also a stunt that was performed several times on the show… except this was a freak accident that would probably not have happened during filming.
A few weeks ago, Buckwild was confirmed for a second season and filming had already begun in West Virginia. That was put on pause with Gandee going missing and being found dead a few hours later. And a production source leaked to TMZ before MTV were able to issue a proper statement that the show had been cancelled altogether.
It’s a few hours later and the show’s producers were apparently not forewarned. And they sound angry… really angry.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter late Tuesday, Williams, who manages most of the cast members and produces the show, took particular aim at MTV for pulling the plug midway through filming on the second season.
“This is the network that has shows about teen pregnancy. 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 [mudding] and they cancel the show?” he fumes. “There’s something that smells of **** here on every level.”
According to Williams, his Beverly Hills-based Parallel Entertainment along with production company Zoo Productions were informed Friday that MTV would be moving forward with the series. At that time, the network had four episodes in the can and was planning to shoot four more plus a special dedicated to Gandee to kick off the season. But Williams says MTV brass followed up Tuesday with a different message for the show’s producers: The network had opted to cancel the series instead.
“There was no explanation,” he says, still bewildered. He adds that the cast, which had planned to come to Los Angeles for the MTV Movie Awards this weekend, had not been informed of the news. The network is expected to formally announce the show’s cancellation Wednesday morning. A special, which was shot before Gandee’s death and was produced by an outside production company, is still expected to air.
Williams, who manages eight of the show’s cast members, including Gandee, does not intend to move on to other projects. In fact, he suggests that he will continue shooting the series and will look to produce a Buckwild film, which he would self-finance if need be. “My job is to protect these kids,” he tells THR, adding: “This will get ugly.” – via The Hollywood Reporter.