Shannen Says

Shannen Says
A man is wrappng his arm around a woman. The words "Shannen Says." are shown against a pale background.
Title card
Genre Reality documentary
Starring
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 1
No. of episodes 8 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)
  • Kathleen Farrell
  • Tom Forman
  • Russell Heldt
  • Shannen Doherty
  • Kurt Iswarienko
Running time 42–43 minutes[1]
Production company(s)
Release
Original network WE tv
Original release April 10 (2012-04-10) – May 13, 2012 (2012-05-13)
External links
Official website

Shannen Says is an eight-episode American reality television series which was broadcast on WE tv from April 10 to May 13, 2012. It focuses on preparations for the wedding of actress Shannen Doherty and photographer Kurt Iswarienko, with help from celebrity-wedding planner David Tutera. Doherty and Iswarienko developed the show as a way to document the stress on a couple while planning their wedding. It was filmed in Malibu, California over a seven-week period, and was produced by RelativityREAL and Doherty's production company No Apologies Productions. The series was released on the iTunes Store and Amazon Video under the title Shannen Says, Season 1, but was not made available on DVD or Blu-ray.

Shannen Says had low ratings, ranking below most other programs on its broadcast night. Doherty said that it was intended as a one-off, with no plans for a second season. Before its premiere, the series was compared to reality shows by Tori Spelling and Kim Kardashian. The show received mixed responses from television critics, who disagreed over its use of drama. Doherty was well-received by commentators, who called her a good match for reality television. Her mother Rosa also received positive attention from fans on Twitter.

Production

Concept and development

On July 20, 2011, WE tv announced that Shannen Doherty and Kurt Iswarienko would star in a then-untitled project, intended to showcase the actress from a more intimate perspective.[2] Developed under the working title The Shannen Doherty Project,[3] it tracks the events leading up to Doherty's third wedding.[4] She had previously been married to American actor Ashley Hamilton and American poker player Rick Salomon that ended in 1994 and 2003, respectively.[4] It would also cover the renovation of her home in Malibu, California.[5] Promotional materials emphasized conflict between Doherty and Iswarienko.[6] WE tv senior vice president John Miller said that it was part of the network's strategy to "present stories that showcase the wild ride of modern-day life from a woman's perspective".[3] Variety's Jill Goldsmith cited the series as an example of how WE tv was ordering more unscripted programming to appeal to a female audience.[7]

An image of a woman with long brown hair. She is smiling toward the camera.
Doherty watched Keeping Up with the Kardashians to prepare for the filming of Shannen Says,[8] but denied comparisons to its star Kim Kardashian (pictured in 2014).[9]

Doherty and Iswarienko wanted to document the weeks leading up to their wedding in a filming and production style similar to Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations and Deadliest Catch.[10] Doherty had previously worked on reality television as a host for Scare Tactics and Breaking Up with Shannen Doherty and a contestant on the tenth season of Dancing with the Stars.[11][12] She called Shannen Says her agreement with Iswarienko to "chronicle this time in our lives and let future brides and future grooms know that [it's] not just you and that goes through the stress".[8] According to Doherty, it was a way to celebrate her third marriage: "Can you bring all of those qualities to reality TV? Can you be that brutally honest, that completely raw, but with the quality of those two shows where you do use different cameras and you do want it to look spectacular?"[13] Doherty described the series as a documentary, rather than a reality show, saying that she was an actor rather than a reality personality. She likened the project to a wedding video.[14] Before its premiere, Barry Walsh of Realscrean.com identified Shannen Says as a docuseries.[15]

Doherty planned to develop the idea with her own production company, originally partnering with an unidentified television network. However, the series was picked up by WE tv when Doherty thought that the previous network was making the material too sensational.[10] Miller said that he approved the series after hearing its pitch; he thought Doherty would be an appealing candidate for reality television.[5] To prepare for filming, Doherty watched former Beverly Hills, 90210 co-star Tori Spelling's reality show about her relationship with husband Dean McDermott and Keeping Up with the Kardashians.[8] However, she resisted comparisons to Kim Kardashian's publicized wedding and divorce from basketball player Kris Humphries.[9] Shannen Says received additional publicity when Spelling jokingly offered to plan Doherty's wedding during an interview with Entertainment Tonight Canada: "I'll do the wedding, I could probably comment on the wedding she'd want 20 years ago, but that wouldn't make any sense."[16]

Filming and cast

Doherty and Iswarienko purchased a RED camera to film the series. According to Doherty, they decided to purchase the camera equipment themselves to make the show "a cut above the rest as far as our crew and how it looks". She described the filming technique as allowing for a more-authentic look into her life: "It had to be honest, it had to be truthful, and it had to look fantastic".[10] When asked by an interviewer about rumors that she was a bridezilla, Doherty said that the series would show all aspects of her preparation for the wedding and was meant to be revealing.[13] Its opening ("Everyone thinks they know you") was described by Doherty as another way to show her real life, in contrast with her reputation for being difficult.[17]

The series was filmed over a seven-week period at the couple's home in Malibu and nearby locations.[8][18] Production began in August 2011, with an original release date scheduled for January 2012.[19] The title was set as Shannen Says before its premiere,[1] and the wedding took place and was filmed on October 15, 2011.[20] The series was produced by Doherty's company, No Apologies Production, and RelativityREAL.[6][17] Doherty and Iswarienko were executive producers for the series, along with Kathleen Iswarienko, Russell Heldt, and Tom Forman.[6] Although she was initially hesitant about the lack of privacy during filming,[13] she felt more comfortable when the bedroom was set as off-limits for the show.[10]

David Tutera, a wedding planner and host of My Fair Wedding with David Tutera, acted as Doherty's event planner.[21] The series also featured Doherty's friends, Roxana Zal, Tim Bitici, and Roger Castillo,[22] and her mother, Rosa.[8][23] Professional dancer Louis Van Amstel and real estate agent Chris Cortazzo each guest-starred in one episode.[24] According to Doherty, her mother was well-received by fans on Twitter. She explained that viewers liked that her mother choose to appear more natural rather than being styled by the show's crew.[8]

Episodes

No.TitleOriginal air dateUS viewers
(millions)
1"Rules of Engagement"April 10, 2012 (2012-04-10)[25]0.172[26]
Doherty and Iswarienko begin to plan their wedding with the help of celebrity-event planner David Tutera.
2"Location, Location, Location"April 17, 2012 (2012-04-17)[25]—
Doherty and Tutera disagree over the location for the wedding. With Iswarienko's help, Doherty agrees to baby-sit her manager's son to determine if she is ready to have children.
3"Shannen's Ready, Is Kurt?"April 29, 2012 (2012-04-29)[25]0.142[27]
After agreeing with Tutera on a venue for the wedding, Doherty searches for a wedding dress and decides to wear three dresses during the ceremony.
4"When It Comes to Kurt's Career, He's Single"April 29, 2012 (2012-04-29)[25]0.123[27]
Iswarienko accepts two jobs overseas, and leaves without consulting Doherty. She wonders if the wedding will still take place, since he never informed her about his career choices.
5"A Wedding in Prague-ress"May 6, 2012 (2012-05-06)[25]0.162[28]
Tutera attempts to further arrange the wedding, but Doherty refuses to proceed without Iswarienko's presence and input.
6"Dress Mess"May 6, 2012 (2012-05-06)[25]0.146[28]
After returning from a trip to Prague to discuss her future with Iswarienko, Doherty searches for vendors for the wedding. When her wedding dresses are delivered, she is disappointed and angry that they do not meet her expectations.
7"The Wedding Gift"May 13, 2012 (2012-05-13)[25]—
Iswarienko attempts to find the perfect wedding present for Doherty, as final preparations are made for the wedding.
8"The Wedding"May 13, 2012 (2012-05-13)[25]—
Doherty and Iswarienko are married, with the couple exchanging handwritten vows.

Broadcast history and release

A sneak peek was released prior to the show's debut,[1] and Doherty promoted it through a Television Critics Association panel presentation at Pasadena, California.[29] Shannen Says premiered on April 10, 2012 in the United States on WE tv at 10:00-11:00 pm Eastern and Pacific, after it was initially scheduled for April 3. The second episode aired on Tuesday night in the same time slot, and two episodes were aired every Sunday night in the same time slot until the end of the season.[30] The show was broadcast internationally on WE tv Asia.[15][31] AMC and Sundance Channel Global also acquired rights for Shannen Says, along with The Slap, Hell on Wheels, and Breaking Bad.[32]

The series was commercially unsuccessful,[33][34] though it was popular among women between the ages of 25 and 54.[34] Its premiere was watched by a total of 172,000 people, ranking below the debut of Dance Moms: Miami.[26] The rest of the episodes also had low ratings, scoring below most of the programs in its time slot.[27][28] Doherty later said that she never intended to pursue a second season, describing the series as a "one-off" created to capture the "time in a couple’s life where they get married and how stressful it can be". She responded negatively to a suggestion of a second-season storyline of a pregnancy and child.[8] The series ended on May 12, 2012,[1] and a writer from the Futon Critic reported that it was canceled after being "on hiatus for longer than 12 months – without any news about its future".[6] The series was released on the iTunes Store on April 10, 2012, as Shannen Says, Season 1.[1] All episodes have been available from Amazon Video since 2012.[23] It has not been made available on Blu-ray or DVD.[35]

Critical reception

Following its premiere, Shannen Says received mixed reviews from critics. A reviewer from Life & Style magazine gave the series three stars out of four, calling it "very entertaining".[36] HitFix's Geoff Berkshire praised it for being "look[ing] great and mov[ing] swiftly from one drama to the next".[18] Alternatively, Kevin McDonough of SouthCoastToday.com criticized the show for attempting "to compensate for the lack of drama in Doherty's life with the manic production of a reality TV-sized wedding".[37] In an article for The Washington Post, Emily Yahr, Caitlin Moore and Emily Chow cited Shannen Says, along with Hey Paula and Kirstie Alley's Big Life, as an unsuccessful example of an "autobiographical" reality show.[38]

Doherty was praised by television critics when the series first aired.[18][39][40][41] Reviewing the premiere, a contributor to The Huffington Post wrote that Doherty was "every bit the bad girl fans have been loving to hate to love for the past twenty-odd years" and a good fit for reality television.[39] Geoff Berkshire referred to the actress as "equal doses crazy and amusing".[18] MTV News' Maisy Fernandez preferred it to Jennie Garth: A Little Bit Country, a reality show starring Doherty's former Beverly Hills, 90210 co-star Jennie Garth. Although Fernandez praised Doherty for making good reality television, she criticized her choice of television network, writing that it was unlikely a casual viewer would find the series while channel surfing.[40] The Boston Herald's Mark Perigard jokingly said that Doherty does not "sob for an hour" like Tori Spelling on her reality shows.[41]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Shannen Says, Season 1". iTunes. April 10, 2012. Archived from the original on December 20, 2015.
  2. ↑ Hibberd, James (July 20, 2011). "Shannen Doherty weds new reality series". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 18, 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Shannen Doherty Returns to Television in New, One-Hour Original WE tv Series". The Futon Critic. July 21, 2011. Archived from the original on December 18, 2016.
  4. 1 2 Stanhope, Kate (July 20, 2011). "Shannen Doherty to Star in New Reality Series for WEtv". TV Guide. Archived from the original on December 18, 2016.
  5. 1 2 Kozupsky, Jordana (July 22, 2011). "Shannen Doherty gets her own reality TV show about her own wedding". IrishCentral. Archived from the original on August 4, 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "About This Show". The Futon Critic. Archived from the original on December 18, 2016.
  7. ↑ Goldsmith, Jill (April 21, 2012). "AMC woos public coin, teases suitors". Variety. Archived from the original on August 2, 2016.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Furlong, Maggie (May 5, 2012). "Shannen Doherty Talks Old Enemies, New Friends And Getting Married (Again) On 'Shannen Says'". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on July 22, 2016.
  9. 1 2 O'Connell, Michael (January 14, 2012). "TCA: Shannen Doherty Dismisses Comparisons to Kim Kardashian". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Michelson, Noah (May 4, 2012). "Shannen Doherty Talks Reality TV, Gay Marriage, And Being Scarred By 80-Year-Old Penises". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on July 22, 2016.
  11. ↑ Nunn, Jerry (April 25, 2012). "Shannen Doherty: On her reality show and gay BFFs". Windy City Times. Archived from the original on August 2, 2016.
  12. ↑ Corneau, Allison (July 21, 2011). "Shannen Doherty's New WeTV Reality Series: All the Details!". Us Weekly. Archived from the original on December 18, 2016.
  13. 1 2 3 Allick, Chantaie (April 5, 2012). "Shannen Doherty talks about Shannen Says". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on November 7, 2014.
  14. ↑ "Shannen Doherty: 'I'm Not a Reality Star'". Life & Style. April 18, 2012. Archived from the original on July 26, 2016.
  15. 1 2 Walsh, Barry (October 4, 2011). "Shannen Doherty series headed to Asia". Realscreen. Archived from the original on August 4, 2016.
  16. ↑ Sitt, Pamela (August 8, 2011). "Tori Spelling Offers to Plan Shannen Doherty's Wedding". MTV News. Archived from the original on July 26, 2016.
  17. 1 2 Lacher, Irene (April 15, 2012). "The Sunday Conversation: Shannen Doherty". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 19, 2015.
  18. 1 2 3 4 Berkshire, Geoff (April 10, 2012). "Review: 'Shannen Says' reveals the determined side of Shannen Doherty". HitFix. Archived from the original on February 19, 2013.
  19. ↑ Serpe, Gina (July 21, 2011). "Bridezilla Alert! Shannen Doherty's Wedding Gets Real". E! News. Archived from the original on July 25, 2016.
  20. ↑ "Shannen Doherty marries in Malibu". The Times of India. October 17, 2011. Archived from the original on August 2, 2016.
  21. ↑ ""Shannen Says" – All-New Series Premieres Tuesday, April 3 at 9PM ET/PT on WE tv". The Futon Critic. January 14, 2012. Archived from the original on December 18, 2016.
  22. ↑ "Cast". WE tv. Archived from the original on June 6, 2012.
  23. 1 2 "Shannen Says". Amazon.com. Archived from the original on July 22, 2016.
  24. ↑ "Cast". TV Guide. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
  25. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Season 1 Episode Guide". TV Guide. Archived from the original on October 19, 2015.
  26. 1 2 Levin, Gary (April 18, 2012). "Not many visit 'NYC', 'Apt. 23'". USA Today. Retrieved September 2, 2018.
  27. 1 2 3 "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'Game of Thrones' Rises, Ties NBA Playoffs + 'Real Housewives,' 'The Client List,' 'Army Wives,' 'Mad Men' & More". TV by the Numbers. May 1, 2012. Archived from the original on March 9, 2016.
  28. 1 2 3 "Sunday Cable Ratings: NBA Playoffs + 'Game of Thrones', 'The Client List', 'Army Wives,' 'Khloe & Lamar', 'Mad Men' + More". TV by the Numbers. May 8, 2012. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016.
  29. ↑ Alocada, Vincent (October 21, 2017). "Shannen Doherty News: Former 'Charmed' Star Recalls Battle with Breast Cancer through A Photo". The Christian Post. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  30. ↑ "Showatch". The Futon Critic. Archived from the original on December 18, 2016.
  31. ↑ "AMC/Sundance Channel Global Acquires Hell On Wheels, Breaking Bad, The Slap & Shannen Says". AMC Networks. Archived from the original on October 12, 2011.
  32. ↑ Keslassy, Elsa (October 4, 2011). "AMC/Sundance Global buy 4 series". Variety. Archived from the original on August 4, 2016.
  33. ↑ "WE tv Analysis". Broadcasting & Cable. May 18, 2012. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  34. 1 2 "WE tv Analysis". Broadcasting & Cable. June 14, 2012. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  35. ↑ "Shannen Says (2012)". TVShowsOnDVD.com. July 27, 2016. Archived from the original on September 28, 2016.
  36. ↑ "TV Review: Shannen Says". Life & Style. April 9, 2012. Archived from the original on July 22, 2016.
  37. ↑ McDonough, Kevin (April 10, 2012). "Can a bad girl ever grow up?". SouthCoastToday.com. Archived from the original on December 18, 2016.
  38. ↑ Yahr, Emily; Moore, Caitlin; Chow, Emily (May 29, 2015). "How we went from 'Survivor' to more than 300 reality shows: A complete guide". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 9, 2018.
  39. 1 2 "'Shannen Says' Premiere: Shannen Doherty Is Always Right, 'And You're Stupid!'". The Huffington Post. April 11, 2012. Archived from the original on July 11, 2014.
  40. 1 2 "TV Throwdown: Jennie Garth Vs. Shannen Doherty". MTV News. May 4, 2012. Archived from the original on July 25, 2016.
  41. 1 2 Perigard, Mark (May 25, 2014). "Animal Planet's 'Killer Lampreys' is no 'Sharknado'". Boston Herald. Archived from the original on August 29, 2014.
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