Imagine my surprise when I got to the end of Maui Fever and saw that it was created by none other than Morgan J. Freeman. Yes, this claptrap, wannabe-Laguna piece of fluff had an Oscar winner's stamp of approval, and I couldn't be more surprised. Of course, there was no way that this could ever be possible, and the placement of that nefarious "J." in the middle of his name led me to believe we had a faker in our midst. Turns out Morgan J. Freeman is merely a TV director who's possibly most famous for his work on Dawson's Creek. Nevertheless, that's not going to stop me from renaming this show the entirely more amusing title of Morgan Freeman's Maui Fever. Has a nice ring to it, yes?

Continue reading "Maui Fever: Recap: Maui Fever: Surf's Up, Ho's Down" »

Posted by B-Side at 4:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (35)

"A reality version of Cocktail*" is how producer Tony DeSantos is describing Maui Fever, MTV's island version of Laguna Beach. And with a cast of hot-blooded, hot-bodied young Hawaiians that includes a pro surfer, high-drama waitresses and tourist-targeting Romeos all looking to get lei'ed-- five out of seven already linked on a sexual daisy chain-- it's looking like the fancy drinks with umbrellas will take a back seat to the obvious double-entendre of the cocktail tag on a sex-soaked, drama-filled fantasy island.

And that means that we can't wait to say "Aloha" when the show hits on January 17th.

MTV introduced the cast this week. Here are Cheyne, Corbin, Chaunte, Anna, Anthony, Sean and Jesse (and eighth-wheel Rachael), as described by the folks who brought us Kristin Cavallari:

Continue reading "Maui Fever: 'Maui Fever' promises a sex-spiked cocktail" »

Posted by Tabloid Baby at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

They're not wanted in Laguna Beach, so MTV is now unleashing a new "reality" drama series set in a beachside paradise full of sexy young pretties. And this one is set far enough away that the complaints from the locals won't sound so loud.

Maui Fever, which was announced a few months back as Island Fever, follows the lives of seven 20-something "friends and lovers" dealing with the ups and downs of youth and beauty while living and working in the tourist mecca of Lahaina. Producers got started in June shot eight half-hour episodes over three months. They also shot another MTV series called Living Lahaina, which follows surf instructors at the Royal Hawaiian Surf Academy.

And though we haven't seen Maui saddled with the tag "The real Hawaii," the grumblings about how accurately the show depicts the youth and culture of Maui has already begun.

But here's the real controversy (and it's not the imminent arrival of the Island Kristin Cavallari):

Continue reading "Maui Fever: Maui is the new Laguna Beach" »

Posted by Tabloid Baby at 8:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (13)