GTL! A Look Back at the Wildest ‘Jersey Shore’ Moments, From Unexpected Hookups to Showdowns

Jersey Shore was the reality show fans never knew they needed until it premiered on MTV back in 2009. After the first episode, viewers became obsessed with the hilariously outspoken stars as well as their hair gel, tanned skin and family dynamic. Their wild antics and love triangles were the cherries on top. 

The original cast featured four “guidettes” ready to have the summer of their lives: Jenni “JWoww” Farley, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola and Angelina Pivarnick, as well as four “guidos,” Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, Paul “DJ Pauly D” DelVecchio and Vinny Guadagnino. 

When the squad arrived at Seaside Heights, a popular beach town in New Jersey, it was time for the fist-pumping to begin and the start of an iconic new era in pop culture: gym, tan, laundry.

It didn’t take long for attractions to develop and relationships to blossom ― even between castmates that said they weren’t looking for “love,” a.k.a. Ronnie and Sam. Even though those two are no longer together, fans still reminiscence about the rollercoaster relationship they had in seasons 1 through 6.

By tuning into the series, viewers quickly learned their lingo and found out the new meaning of the terms “grenades,” “landmines” and the all too classic “grenade launcher” after seeing the group party at Karma nightclub.  

While “The Situation” garnered attention with his six-pack abs, Pauly became known for his signature catchphrases like “Cabs are here!” and “Yeah buddy!” And who can forget the duck phone? All of the stars used it at one point or another. 

JWoww previously revealed how she got cast on the series and said the show took nearly two years to get off the ground. “Somewhere in the mix of that, they decided they were going to change Jersey Shore from a voting off show on VH1 to a Real World-style show on MTV,” she said in a YouTube video. 

Little did she know, the house she would share with her costars would become her home and the cast on Jersey Shore would become her extended family. 

After the original series came to an emotional end and a new spinoff was announced, fans couldn’t wait to see the reboot Jersey Shore: Family Vacation. In June 2020, it was confirmed the show has been renewed for season 4! The newest season is airing from November 2020 to January 2021. 

Scroll through all the iconic moments from Jersey Shore and Family Vacation!