VIDEO PHOTOS Meet the cast of MTV’s Buckwild: West Virginia!

It’s Jersey Shore meets Honey Boo Boo as MTV announces a premiere date for it’s latest reality show venture titled Buckwild! Set in the mountains of West Virginia, the network describes the show as “an authentic comedic series following an outrageous group of childhood friends from the rural foothills of West Virginia who love to dodge grown-up responsibilities and always live life with the carefree motto, ‘whatever happens, happens.'”

Here’s the Buckwild preview trailer released today by MTV:

Set to literally replace Jersey Shore by taking the coveted Jerzday time slot of Thursday nights at 10/9c, Buckwild will premiere January 3. MTV further describes the show this way:

Money might be tight in their neck of the woods, but whether they’re throwing a dump truck pool party or building their own human slingshot, nothing stops them from making their own entertainment. Love and relationships come and go, but their bond with family and friends is always at the core for this eccentric group where anything goes!

The show sports a rather large cast which officially includes nine fun-loving youngsters, including the ratings-friendly ratio of six girls to three guys. Here are each of the cast members with photos and a brief description from MTV. We will continue to update this page with links as we find out more about them and share it with you (as we certainly will – start the countdown on the first sextape now!).

Shain Gandee
“Gandee Candy”
Everyone in Sissonville, W. Va. knows Shain. Sociable and loyal, he was the high school Prom King, but missed the dance because he had to work. He’s done every job from coal mining to being a garbage man but as long as he is using his hands, he’s happy. He loves mudding, hunting and four-wheeling but most of all he loves his parents, who live three doors down. [Click here for some serious country boy MySpace photos of Shain Gandee!]

Anna Davis
“The Ringleader”
Even though she comes from the ritzier part of town, Anna would rather spend her time getting dirty with the crew down in the creeks and hollers. She’s a true wild child at heart who finds herself at a crossroads in life trying to decide between work and school. One thing is for certain: Anna isn’t afraid to stand up for herself.

Ashley Whitt
“The Tomboy”
Wild and carefree, Ashley is known for being one of the guys. She’d rather get down and dirty in the mud than deal with local drama — although she doesn’t mind starting it. She’s the bravest and most honest of her friends, but always the one to stir the pot. [Click here to check out Ashley Whitt wearing only body paint!]

Shae Bradley
“The Spicy Southern Belle”
Around town, Shae is known as the Southern belle. She’s been chased after by every eligible bachelor in Sissonville but somehow always ends up with the bad boy. Currently a nursing student, this college girl is also a country girl through and through. In fact, her first kiss was on the back of a four-wheeler. [Click here to see Shae in a rare candid bikini photo and one of the greatest random reality Twitter pics you’ll see.]

Joey
“Justin Beaver”
Shain and Joey have been best friends since they could walk. Once they learned how to ride a bike, it’s been bumps, bruises and hospital visits for these adrenaline junkies. With his Justin Bieber haircut and laid-back country attitude, Joey thinks he’s the biggest ladies’ man in town.

Cara Parrish
“The Firecracker”
Originally hailing from Morgantown, the biggest college town in West Virginia, Cara had seen her fair share of the club and bar scene. But when the drama of having an ex in the same town became too much, she decided to escape back to her Sissonville friends to get her mind straight. [Click here to see some eye-popping modeling shots of Cara getting buck wild in bikinis and lingerie!]

Tyler Boulet
“The Pretty Boy”
Known for his innocent good looks, Tyler has a reputation for leaving a trail of broke hearts all over town. He recently finished up another semester in college but the flexible schedule of working at his dad’s company sometimes seems more enticing. Recently Shain and Joey have taken Tyler under their wing on a mission to make him less of a pretty boy and more of a country man. [Click here for mug shots of Tyler as he seems to take the concept of “buck wild” seriously].

Katie Saria
“The College Girl”
A well-rounded college girl, Katie loves to spend her free time away from school, back with her friends in Sissonville. She is afraid of anything potentially dangerous, which means the gang loves to push her to her limit whenever they can.

Salwa Amin
“Bengali in Boots”
A recent college graduate, Salwa lives at home with her strict parents. Whenever she’s able to slip away, she’s the first one at the party. The oldest of the group, Salwa is always down for a good time and everyone loves her “tell it like it is” attitude. [Everyone except perhaps the police, who apparently picked Salwa up on some misdemeanor charge back in July. Click here to see Salwa Amin’s mug shot photo!]

And just in case you lived in another part of the country and thought you might be safe from Buckwilditization, you should know that the co-creators of the show, Zoo Productions, registerred three domains in October of 2011: BuckwildWestVirginia.com, BuckwildTexas.com, and BuckwildAlabama.com! I’m not sure if that was because they weren’t sure which of the three they were going to pursue at the time or if they have intentions of growing the franchise in the future if the West Virginia incarnation takes off. Just a heads up for our Texas and Alabama readers 🙂