'Jersey Shore' spinoff: on LI or not?

Here's tomorrow's Newsday story today, and it attempts to answer that very question. The quick read: MTV insists NO location has yet been set. My colleague, Valerie Kellogg, has additional details on filming in the Three Village area in January but she thinks the LI location may only be at the series' outset. Read on...

"Jersey Shore" has conquered and now it's begun to divide. MTV said Thursday two new series will be spun off from the biggest in its thirty-year history, including one that's expected to have ties to Long Island.

The still-unnamed "Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi and Jenni 'JWoww' Farley Project" -- which already filmed scenes in and around East Setauket earlier this year -- will air more than 12 episodes next year, while a series starring Paul "DJ Pauly" Delvecchio, also still unnamed, will air next year as well. Both shows were described by MTV as a look at the three "JS" stars' lives "away from their summer shares and housemates," with the Snooki/JWoww series expected to focus on their private lives, and Delvechchio's a look at his travels "as one of the country’s most in-demand DJs."

The network added that no location has yet been set for Polizzi/Farley show. Franklin Square native Farley had earlier told Newsday that she and Polizzi were looking for a place to live together -- and had looked at homes in the Three Village area -- but later decided they wanted to be closer to their boyfriends, who live in New Jersey.

She said that they have not ruled out Nassau County, although it’s more likely she and Polizzi would buy in New Jersey.

Unsaid -- and perhaps most intriguing -- in yesterday's long-expected official announcements is the impact the spin offs will have on "Jersey Shore." With nearly 8 million viewers for the just concluded third season, "Shore" is cable's highest-rated non-sports series and demonstrates no signs of flagging -- except perhaps on-screen. Some cast members have begun to muse about life after "Shore," though that could simply be negotiating talk -- and in fact the tabloids have reported that some cast member holdouts have delayed start of filming on the fourth season in Italy. By spinning off established stars, MTV may be protecting both its flank and an important franchise. For example, months before "Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County" began its final season in 2006, a new series starring "Laguna" cast member Lauren Conrad -- "The Hills" -- launched and became an even bigger hit.

An MTV spokeswoman said via email, "all three cast members will still film 'Jersey Shore' independent of their respective spinoffs. They would film at an undetermined date after Season 4 production. Beyond that, it's still too early to know what the final programming strategy will be for how and when they air."