Watch Jersey Shore

Originally airing in 2009, Jersey Shore began its rise to fame in the historic New Jersey county of Seaside Heights. With its wild and colorful cast the show quickly saw a spike in viewers, rapidly becoming a cultural sensation. By season five our beloved guidos and guidettes had even spent two seasons away from the Jersey coast, spending season three in the sunny Miami Beach, and even traveling to Italy to get in touch with their roots in season four. Jersey Shore concluded its fifth season in March 2012 with an astounding 7.2 million viewers, making Jersey Shore the most watched series in MTV history. The cast is set to return for a sixth season, the date of which is still to be announced. Whether you love the cast or hate them, this show is definitely a rare must-see.

Jersey Shore somewhat follows the mold set by previously popular reality TV shows: 8 people are brought together to live in a house and have their lives taped for the world to see. The goings on in the group home are wild and crazy, proving again that real life is more dramatic than soap operas. The first season took place during a summer in New Jersey, where the cast is from, but subsequent seasons have seen the cast moved to new locales. This is all familiar to people who have seen other reality TV shows, but what makes Jersey Shore so unique is the cast.

The most famous, perhaps infamous, cast member is Nicole Polizzi (AKA "Snooki"). Snooki's antics have gained her widespread notoriety; she has been filmed getting arrested, sleeping around, being very drunk, being a ditz, and much more. The rest of the cast, while not as prominent as the aforementioned 'breakout star' of the show, also bring a great deal of appeal to the show. The cast has not remained the same throughout every season, but the other current cast members are: Deena Cortese, Jennifer Farley ("JWoww"), Michael Sorrentino ("The Situation"), Paul Delvecchio ("Pauly D"), Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, Samantha Giancola ("Sweetheart"), and Vinny Guadagnino. All of them are frequently hilarious, and are presented as being stereotypical "guidos."

The show is mostly funny, but the show isn't all laughs. The audience comes to sympathize, and even at times identify, with the cast. We experience their laughs, but also their moments of sadness, of joy, and even anger. There is a reason why some colleges and universities are now teaching classes based on the show: Jersey Shore is not just another reality show, but has genuinely touched the hearts of America, and despite Snooki's recently announced pregnancy, it seems that the show is not running out of steam any time soon.

Jersey Shore is a series that ran for 7 seasons (87 episodes) between January 28, 2010 and on MTV