MTV Cancels 'Buckwild' Following Tragic Deaths
MTV has canceled "Buckwild" after the series' star Shain Gandee was found dead along with two others in West Virginia on April 1.
Gandee, his uncle, and a friend were found dead in Gandee's Ford Bronco after going off-roading. It is believed that the truck became stuck in mud about one mile from Gandee's home in Sissonville, West Virginia.
Authorities determined that carbon monoxide poisoning claimed the lives of all three people. Gandee was just 21-years-old.
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The MTV reality series followed young residents in rural West Virginia, but production has stopped halfway through filming the second season.
The formal announcement about the cancelation of "Buckwild" is expected on Wednesday, but "no explanation" was offered according to one of the show's producers, J.P. Williams.
Williams, a native of West Virginia, maintains that series serves a higher purpose and rued MTV's decision to halt production of "Buckwild," comparing it to MTV's "Teen Mom."
"This is the network that has shows about teen pregnancy," Williams told The Hollywood Reporter. "They'll stick by a show that allows you to abandon a child, but a kid dies by accident doing what he does for a living and they cancel the show? There's something that smells of s--- here on every level."
Furthermore, he revealed plans to continue shooting the reality series and would even finance production himself.
"My job is to protect these kids," he said. "This will get ugly."
Meanwhile, "Buckwild" had stirred controversy before Gandee's tragic accident. Many West Virginians, such as Charleston's Mayor Danny Jones, felt that "the show only enhanced the negative stereotype the Kanawha Valley already has."
It is unknown if MTV will air the four previously taped episodes of "Buckwild," but the network is expected to air a special episode dedicated to Gandee in the near future.
