New travel and lifestyle program starts Thursday

Can't wait to see the analysis of this show and its travelers. Never watched, but I guess now I can since I want to see the scenery!

Am sure they will represent the best of us, right???? I am so EXCITED.

A few lessons I have already learned after the first episode: - Dusseldorf is pronounced with a soft "u" as if rhyming with pus. - Taking eight suitcases is quite burdensome. - Europe is a large country. - There are many problems to be encountered with voltage when using flat irons and blow driers. Be careful or you may lose some of your hair. - There are very few electrical outlets in old buildings in Italy. - Limoncello shots are not as good as tequila. - Italians speak too fast. - Florence is old.
- There is a big old red tiled dome structure that looks cool. We aren't sure what it is called yet, but I expect future explorations will reveal this. - Italians have a lot to learn about fist pumping in nightclubs. Overall the young band of friends are off to a good start. They have found a gym and a trainer (who smokes outside on breaks). They appear to understand how to drive in an ancient city, but are considerate and take cabs in the evening when attending youth-related social gatherings.

Michael, you provided an excellent synopsis of the show so now I don't need to watch it!! Thanks for the laughs!!

It's on tomorrow but I'm not sure I should watch it. It will probably be so annoying that I'm tempted to throw a boot through the TV!

Okay, I had to check it out for the scenery! It's like watching a train wreck but surprisingly I do agree with something that one of the guys said: "it's the most beautifullest country I've ever seen". I'll overlook the fact that he slaughtered the English language just because I agree with his sentiment! I won't be watching any more episodes!!

"There is a big old red tiled dome structure that looks cool. We aren't sure what it is called yet, but I expect future explorations will reveal this." This matter has been resolved. It has been determined by consensus of the group that the church is in fact the Vatican.

I definitely laughed out loud Michael1 at the group's consensus that the big red domed structure is the Vatican! They don't even DESERVE to be in Italy!! I think there should be a basic proficiency test that one should take before being allowed into Italy!! LOL.

Michael, please tell us you are kidding? Did these educated people really think it was Vatican? Good thing they didn't go to Pisa or they would have realized that Tower was actually the Eiffel tower starting to fall down!!!

I did manage to get through watching the first episode, and YES, I was tempted to throw a boot through the TV a couple of times!!! "The Situation" was on Leno last week, demonstrating his new proficiency with the Italian language. I was reaching for "the boot" on that occasion also!

Gail, they honestly think that the Duomo is the Vatican. They are not the brightest bunch. Oh, and they constantly fall flat on their faces (the girls at least).

Second Episode they go grocery shopping... one of the girls complains that everything is written in ITALIAN and NOTHING is written in ENGLISH. So annoying. Too funny. It's all wasted on them. In more ways than one.

Susan, "one of the girls complains that everything is written in ITALIAN and NOTHING is written in ENGLISH." Surely no one could be THAT ignorant? Perhaps that was just "put on" for the show for "entertainment purposes"?

Too friggin funny!!! I'm laughing with tears in my eyes just reading ya'lls posts about these morons! Awesome!!

When it comes to "guilty pleasures", I grew up with the Dukes of Hazard, I'm not sure if the current crop is better or worse?

@ Ken from Canada - For the sake of the human race, I surely hope it is an "act".

A few things to note: 1) Although I have never seen the show, I hear they chose this group because they really are that dumb. (New Jersey officials complain about the show because it makes their state look bad.) 2) The Dukes of Hazzard was a fictional show. This is supposedly real. 3) While filming in Italy, the Italian government complained about the group's antics and threatened to pull the show's filming permit. 4) Recently, one of the people on the show, someone named Snooki, was invited to speak at Rutgers. She was paid more than Toni Morrison, a Nobel Prize winner for literature. Fortunately, it was the students that pointed out the ridiculousness of this. What's next....the Travel Channel going to send the all-you-can-eat guy to Paris to see how much escargot he can wolf down in 15 minutes? Is Rachel Ray going to Rome to show them why store bought Marinara Sauce is just as good as homemade? But mistakes are made by many...a few years ago, Stephen Fry, a Cambridge educated actor, TV personality, writer, author and wit, produced a series titled, "Stephen Fry's America" where he visited all 50 states. In NY, he visited an Italian neighborhood in the borough ofQueens. (Queens alone is about twice the size of Washington, DC and where I was born and raised.) By just visiting this neighborhood he declared that all of Queens was predominantly Italian. That would be like me going to Brick Lane in London and declaring all of London was predominantly Bangladeshi.

"....The Dukes of Hazzard was a fictional show. This is supposedly real...." I don't follow??? JS takes place in a real place called Florence. Hazzard takes place a real place called Georgia. Cooter went on to become a very real Congressman. Reminds me of another travel related guilty pleasure from my younger days: The Love Boat: a real cruise ship going to real places. Gopher went on to become a very real Congressman. Coincidence? no way! Thus, Snooki will be Michele Bachmann's running mate! quod erat demonstrandum. Fantasy Island......well that was complete nonsense!

@Michael 1: Hilarious! Perfect summary. @Frank II: Doesn't Rachel Ray already infest European destinations on her execrable "$40 a Day" show? You know, the one where she has a $40 a day budget for eating, chooses the most American-style things she can find, and never EVER tips enough, even in the American episodes? (Gah - makes me cringe.) What I love about the conceit of this Jersey-Shore-in-Italy show is that those kids all think they're "Italian." I'm from NYC, and if I had a dollar for every moke who told me, "Hey! I'm Italian!" to explain away brawling or loud talk or otherwise offensive behavior, I would be rich. Examnple of this silliness: I once had a boss who swore up and down "I'm Italian!" and yet, upon closer questioning, it turned out that he had two grandparents from Lebanon, one grandparent from Germany, and one (ONLY one) grandparent from Italy. Of course, I would also be rich if I had a buck from everyone in NYC who swore up and down they were "Irish" and couldn't even correctly identify the county their supposed Irish ancestors were from. So I guess, to be charitable, it is just a generalized yearning for the Olde Country...

Ken, I do think a lot of it is "put on" for the show. But it's hard to tell what is and what isn't. I agree with James, some of them aren't dumb in real life and all of them are laughing all the way to the bank.

Fantasy Island......well that was complete nonsense! Really? I guess you've never been to Vegas with a wad of cash. You can get just about any fantasy you want.