Sí TV Hit Reality Series ‘Urban Jungle’ Returns
Posted by Elena del Valle on September 26, 2005
Second Season: “Urban Jungle 2: South Central”
Critically-Acclaimed Reality Show Transplants 13 Privileged Suburbanites into “The Hood” to Experience Life as Immigrants
Los Angeles, CA (Sept. 19, 2005) – Sí TV, the first English-language Latino cable network, announced the return of its hit reality series “Urban Jungle,” the show that takes 13 sheltered kids from suburbia and plops them in South Central Los Angeles, all for a chance to win a $50,000 grand prize. The second season, “Urban Jungle 2: South Central,” premieres on Sunday, October 9, 2005 at 10 PM (ET/PT) on Sí TV and will air every Sunday at 10 PM for 13 weeks.
“Our first season of ‘Urban Jungle’ was wildly successful. Sí TV is proud to bring back a second season,” says Sí TV co-founder and chairman Jeff Valdez, who grew up in the housing projects of Pueblo, Colorado. “With so much anti-immigrant sentiment these days, we want to give our contestants and our viewers a chance to find out what it’s really like to live as working class poor and in the process uncover the humanity of the working-class immigrant.”
Jeff Valdez, Sí TV co-founder and chairman
Returning producer Roni Menendez and camera crews converge on the tiny two-bedroom, one-bath home in South Central Los Angeles to follow the group of 13 privileged twenty-somethings as they adapt to life as immigrants. This season Urban Jungle raises the stakes by adding a new element, paying the rent.
Last year, contestants were given jobs to test their resolve. This year, it’s all about the cold, hard cash. In addition to seeking out their own jobs, each week, contestants will be issued a “Challenge.” Challenges including picking strawberries, selling paletas (popsicles) and selling oranges on freeway off ramps. The losing team will have to pay the rent for the house. Members from the losing team who can’t contribute must plead their case for staying in the house to Pete Esquivel (Little Heroes), Monique Marvez (Rocking New Year’s Eve) and Thea Vidale (Thea), the three street-wise, yet benevolent “Padrinos” (Godparents).
Based on each contestant’s sincerity, the Padrinos will decide who to “evict.” The added stress of paying the rent, and the third-world living conditions will create intense pressure and lead to dramatic clashes. The last contestant in the house, producers say, will win $50,000 in cash and prizes, and perhaps learn a thing or two about life on the other side of the tracks.
New participants include:
· Georgie, 29, Winnetka, California, the daughter of a wealthy South African family who enrages her housemates with her brutally honest comments.
· Jei, 23, Los Angeles, California, a Buddhist ex-Marine who doesn’t mince words when it comes to politics.
· Michael, 28, San Antonio, Texas, a self-proclaimed metrosexual and ultra clean freak, who creates havoc in the house with his primadonna antics.
· Jason, 23, San Pedro, California, a highly opinionated surfer and musician who has no patience for “stupid, fake” people.
· Leann, 23, Springdale, Arizona, a typical wide-eyed small-town girl from Arkansas who has never been exposed to city life.
· Bo, 24, San Antonio, Texas, a titillating Texas princess with impeccable good looks who works as a local TV personality.
· Aubrey, 22, Woodside, New York, a social butterfly who has lived a life of privilege and spends summers at her family’s Italian villa.
· Mark, 21, San Rafael, California, a quintessential jock with a nose for politics who admit to having a low tolerance for stupidity and can be a bit abrasive.
· Kristi, 24, Burbank, California, a tough-talking straight-shooting party girl who is used to running with the popular crowd.
· Tristan, Los Angeles, California, 26, an eccentric playboy clothing designer who lives on Los Angeles’ west side.
· Erik, 23, New Rochelle, New York, a comedian of Puerto Rican heritage who lives in ritzy Westchester County, NY and is supported by his daddy who works in pediatrics.
· Afradet, Austin, 22, Texas, a sassy recent graduate of Palestinian background who is not afraid of a little disagreement.
· Vanessa, 23, San Diego, California, a controversial contestant from Urban Jungle season one returning for a second chance at the prize.
Sí TV is an English-language, Latino network featuring hip and irreverent, culturally-relevant programming targeting the growing young Latino and multi-cultural TV audience. Voted by Multichannel News as one of the “Top 10 Next Networks,” Si TV reaches 10 million homes nationwide. The network has forged affiliation agreements with Comcast Cable, Adelphia, Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications and Grande Communications, while EchoStar’s DISH Network features Sí TV as part of its “America’s Top 120” package. Investors in the network include EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH), Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX), SYNCOM Funds, Columbia Capital, Rho Ventures, DND Capital Partners, Llano Partners and company co-founder Barshop Ventures.
Co-founded and chaired by Jeff Valdez, who was recently named a “Top 10 Player” in Hispanic media by Ad Age Magazine, Sí TV was established in 1997 as a production company to develop, produce and distribute original English-language, Latino-themed entertainment.
