MTV cancels ‘Buckwild’ in wake of Shain Gandee’s death

A week after the death of “Buckwild”reality-TV star Shain Gandee, MTV has decided to cancel the series.

Production on the show’s second season was suspended after news broke last week that the 21-year-old had been found dead in his truck, along with his uncle and a friend, after going “mudding” (off-roading), near Sissonville, W.Va.

The network ultimately decided not to move forward with the series, and episodes that had already been shot will not be aired.

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The network issued the following statement:

“After careful consideration, MTV will not be moving forward with season two of “BUCKWILD” in West Virginia. We love the cast and the show and this was not an easy decision, but given Shain’s tragic passing and essential presence on the show, we felt it was not appropriate to continue without him. Instead, we are working on a meaningful way to pay tribute to his memory on our air and privately.”

MTV plans to run a special, “Buckwild: WV to the NYC,” on Sunday. It was shot before production had begun on the sophomore season, and will follow a marathon showing of the first season’s episodes.

Loretta Gandee, Shain’s mother, said in a statement: “Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time for our family. We have truly felt all the love and know that Shain is resting peacefully. Shain was an incredible, outgoing, and positive person who was loved by whoever he met. We are honored that we were able to let the world see what a wonderful son we had. He was the best son anyone could ask for. As we look to honor him in our lives every day moving forward, we are happy to share some of his last moments doing what he loved best: having fun and making people laugh.”

“Buckwild” had been tapped to fill the big ratings shoes of “Jersey Shore.” With only one season under its belt, it’s hard to say if it could have reached “Jersey Shore” ratings But its premiere drew an impressive 2.5 million viewers -- a 56% increase over “Jersey Shore’s” 2009 launch, which brought in 1.4 million.

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