The Only Way Is Essex

As a 23 year old, I guess the whole partying night in and out clubbing shtick is supposed to appeal to my demographic, but that's impossible when these lame (some well into their 30s) tools try desperately hard to act like wild college frats. If that isn't bad enough, this show is a snooze fest. I didn't laugh once, and you know you have gem when these grown adults drag through cheesy one liners that will cure insomnia. Congrats England, you have found yourself your own Jersey Shore.

If you can choke down mindless dribble, then this show is for you. If you enjoy a bunch of egotistical narcissists in a never ending game of try-to-be-witty, all of whom fail, then this is for you.

Following the mould of MTV reality shows like "Jersey Shore" and "The Hills", "The Only Way is Essex" follows the supposed lives of a group of nouveau-riche twenty-somethings in Essex, adhering to the common stereotypes of the respective county - big yet tasteless houses, huge nightclubs and wild parties, tarty blondes coated in fake tan (with a token gay friend at their side), manly men who enjoy doing manly things, and of course, a no-nonsense grandmother who's fiercer than an RAF division. In a departure from a good number of British reality shows, the scenes are almost all evidently staged and cut, with a perfect level of soap-opera histrionics and bad acting thrown in for good measure. As such, the show comes across as a parade of cardboard cutouts devoid of any personality against a set of sterile backdrops.

It's little more than a piece of trash that makes everyone in Essex out to be superficial and stupid, but I have to question whether anyone thought it was going to be good in the first place. This type of programme hooks the viewer in its knowing awfulness; it's so appalling that it becomes morbidly engaging. To TV executives, this means good ratings and the chance to make money off a cheap franchise. Yes, it's depressing that shows such as "The Only Way is Essex" exist, but it's ultimately simply worth just ignoring.

well, as i live in Essex i thought i might give it a go, although i had my doubts before i had even seen it, and i wasn't wrong, i'm not sure where you got these people from but what an embarrassment to Essex, yeah, the types that are portrayed can be seen hanging around the likes of Sugar Hut etc but day to day Essex people are nowhere near as shallow as they are portrayed in this rubbish programme. The acting is completely wooden and false, do they have a script? it looks like they don't, the language is more "Thames Estuary" than Essex, and it makes out the girls to look like tarts. Where abouts in Essex are these people from? There are a lot of shots from the Brentwood area, but i don't know anyone from Brentwood that behave like them, does Pixie Lott sound like that? i think not, so disgusted were the Essex folk that the programme made the Essex Chronicle with an unfavourable report, so please just give it up.i for one will not be wasting any more of my time watching such complete drivel, even 1/10 is far too generous

When I saw the adverts for the show I initially thought, wow. The UK has collected in on the money train of a half reality/half fiction show, such as The Hills or The City. I have never been a fan of these shows but when they said it was based around the the lives of the Essex young I thought, yeah this could really work. Everyone I have ever met from Essex has always been fun, full of energy, classy with an extraordinary personality. In my mind the concept could not go wrong and initially I thought this type of show will spawn the next generation of young stars in the UK that girls will want to dress like and boys will fantasise over. Boy was I wrong......

I understand that there is a certain amount of "making things up to create good tele" but at least with the Hills its sometimes believable. These girls and guys make Essex people look really dumb and shallow and I would be ashamed of myself if I was a native to the county. Yes of course there are elements in the characters that are true to real people but they are not defined by these ridiculous statements and poor decisions that these characters seem to live by?

As with any bad show, one can sometimes find the "tongue in cheek" value that is sometimes contrived, but I genuinely believe the producers are trying to buy into the fact that these things happen on a day to day basis and they want us to follow their lives with real interest. If you have not seen an episode yet, do so with an open mind but I am sure if you have an once of decency and respect in your bodies you will come to similar conclusions as I have.

This is not the sort of show I will be chatting about down the pub and that's what TV should be about. Please remove this terrible show from a valuable Sunday night slot and replace it with a show that doesn't make me angry about the world.

Thought id give this ago as i do like a reality show such as jersey shore jerseylicious the hills etc I'm from UK to so thought why not. I cant describe how annoying the people are they are incredibly stupid not in a funny way i mean as in dumbness I've never come across a species like this their vocabulary is terrible and seem to shorten words such as jealous, they say jel maybe they cant spell so thats why they shorten it who knows they make up silly phases such as vajazzle a tern mean decorating the ladies downstairs in diamonties (excuse me for my spelling now i think its rubbed off on me all this thickness/dumbness also i am typing on touchscreen phone so forgive me for any spelling mistakes) the cast seem attractive but they are so fake i actually know someone who for a birthday went to Essex and bumped into a cast member asked for her autograph as she actually enjoys the show to get a nasty response for spoiling her night out she was a fan only wanted a happy birthday autograph. They say the show is not script but to be honest all shows like this are scripted to an extent in brief fake tits fake people fake personalities fake show that sums it up right in my and a lot of peoples eyes