The Shire's a shemozzle as it fails to rate

Mitch and Andy star in the Australian "dramality" series "The Shire" set on the Sydney beaches rocked by 2005 race riots. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

The Herald Sun reports

Much like the waves at the heart of new Channel 10 "dramality" show The Shire, TV ratings and Twitter reviews show it crashed into a cascading mess.

Despite a lead-in audience of 1.35 million courtesy of MasterChef, the first episode pulled in 913,000 viewers.

In its 8pm timeslot, The Shire was beaten by the ABC's Australian Story (942,000 viewers) and tied with The Amazing Race.

Celebrities - including basketballer Andrew Bogut, broadcaster Derryn Hinch, and pop star Anthony Callea - took to Twitter.

"#TheShireTV is making Being Lara Bingle look like Q&A," comedian Peter Helliar tweeted.

"Have just had what I'm calling 'The Shire talk' with my daughter. Began with 'Now, let this be a lesson to you...'," Today host Lisa Wilkinson added.

Surfers, models and loveable rogues: The Shire to air within weeks

Ten promises real people, real drama ... The Shire.

Natalie Hambly, The Sydney Morning Herald, reports

Contrary to recent reports that Channel Ten was shelving reality television show The Shire, the network this morning announced it has brought forward the program's release. The show will now go to air in less than two weeks.

Just last month rumours swirled that the network's management was 'underwhelmed' with the footage so far and by all accounts it was relegated to the backburner.

At the time the network was vague about timing, saying viewers would get to meet the cast later this year. Production has now seemingly been rushed forward with The Shire due to air on July 16 at 8pm.

The concept of the show has been heavily criticised with unsavoury comparisons to US reality show Jersey Shore. Locals of the Sutherland Shire in Sydney, where the show is set, objected to Ten filming on their streets, fearing it would harm the reputation of the neighbourhood.

A spokesperson for Ten this morning said that The Shire is definitely not like Jersey Shore and doesn't aim to be a controversial portrayal of Shire residents.

Details of the cast are sketchy but a statement from Ten today says the show will feature "hot surfers, vivacious models, girls next door, on-and-off couples, loveable rogues and entrepreneurs".

David Mott, Ten's chief programming officer, describes the show as "fun" and "feisty" and the network stresses that it features real people and real drama.

Aimed firmly at the twenty-something crowd, viewers can look forward to meeting Gabrielle, 20, a direct sales assistant, Tegan, 24, a singing teacher and waitress, Andy, 22, an electrician, Nikee, 20, a model, Mitch, 23, a stonemason, and Kerry, 26, a restaurant manager.

The Shire's stars fear Channel Ten reality TV show will depict them as bogans

In it to have fun ... Real;ity TV show The Shire's three main male characters (from left Simon, Mitch and Andy. Picture: Kristi Miller Source: The Daily Telegraph

Rosemarie Lentini, The Daily Telegraph, reports

It looks like Jersey Shore, sounds like Jersey Shore - but, whatever you do, don't confuse it with Jersey Shore.

Three stars of The Shire hit Cronulla's main drag yesterday, to the bemusement of locals worried that the upcoming reality show will depict them as bogans.

Mates Mitch, Andy and Simon - all aged 23 - said they signed up to the controversial Channel 10 series "for a bit of fun", insisting they would never be part of a misrepresentative program.

"People have seen the leaked clips of the show and got the wrong idea. We'd never go on a show that was like Jersey Shore," Mitch said.

"We're having so much fun, hey, and we've got nothing to hide."

But the producers do - the boys were only told yesterday morning that they'd be filming at a surf shop. They didn't know who their fellow stars were.

"They're keeping it well under wraps and not telling us anything. We were told to hand out the phone number of the producer if we get questions," Simon said.

While filming has been under way for a couple of weeks, locals said that yesterday was the first time film crews were spotted on Cronulla St, the main shopping strip.

Shoppers said the six-hour shoot, from 10am to 4pm, involved the boys trying to find a perfect outfit for Andy to wear to a speed dating event. He walked away with a chequered shirt and mustard chinos.

"They were really relaxed in front of the camera, and were asked to say a few lines in situations set up by the crew," one shopper said. "They can say whatever they want but were given direction."

Lara Bingle's Being Lara Bingle, The Shire teen reality show and the TV version of Puberty Blues all filmed in Sutherland

The shire's natural beauty ...And one of its most famous inhabitants Lara Bingle will soon feature prominently on TV. Source: The Daily Telegraph

The Daily Telegraph reports

It has found itself in the centre of a TV scandal but the attention is only set to get more intense for Sutherland Shire, with no fewer than three major TV projects to be based out of the beachside hamlet in 2012.

With cameras set to roll on the controversial weeknight series The Shire next Wednesday, the area will also serve as the backdrop for the fly-on-the-wall Lara Bingle vehicle Being Lara Bingle and the coming TV version of the iconic Aussie book-turned-film Puberty Blues.

It's understood Being Lara Bingle has already begun filming, with the show to air on Channel 10 mid-year.

Puberty Blues remains in the casting stage and is expected to hit screens in the later half of the year.

The Shire, meanwhile, is believed to be a "long-term project" for Channel 10 and its production partner Shine Australia, which had pitched the series to Sutherland Shire councillors as a "six or seven" year undertaking intended to be sold internationally.

"We've been told it will be a weeknight show, airing at 7pm, and will air overseas," one said.