Boy band Busted will leave Heathrow this afternoon to be tracked by MTV cameras for 10 weeks as they try to break the American market in a new reality show that is the biggest co-production yet between the UK and US arms of the music video giant.
Although the group has enjoyed huge success in the UK and Europe, winning two Brit awards and scoring four number one singles including current hit Thunderbirds Are Go, Busted are virtually unknown in the US.
The trio will be filmed for 10 weeks as they attempt to succeed in America, embarking on a gruelling promotional schedule and playing to a string of small and potentially indifferent audiences.
Following the mould of MTV's other big reality hit, The Osbournes, the show's producers will be doubtless hoping for plenty of footage of behind-the-scenes bust-ups and partying.
The MTV UK and Ireland vice-president of development, Chris Sice, promised the show would be a "warts and all" portrait of a British band trying to succeed where others such as Robbie Williams have failed in trying to win over the American record buying public.
"It really is warts and all. The band have been exceptional and very open in admitting that they're nobodies in America.
"They told us that the last time they went out there they were booked to play a festival and ended up playing in a car park. They're real characters and it will show another side to the band," said Mr Sice.
The resulting six-part series, named America or Busted?, will be screened in November on both MTV2 in the US and the main channel in the UK and Ireland. If successful it is likely to transfer to a terrestrial channel next year.
Traditionally, original MTV productions such as Jackass, The Osbournes and Newlyweds have originated in the US before being shown over here.
But the Busted co-production is being hailed as evidence of greater transatlantic co-operation between the two arms of the Viacom-owned company.
"It is the first series that we are doing together that is being produced by the UK and will air in the US at the same time. It's a very ambitious and heavyweight project for us," said Mr Sice.
In the past 18 months MTV UK & Ireland has pursued a policy of investing in original content to win back market share lost amid the explosion of music video channels launched by Emap.
The strategy has borne fruit with a string of UK-produced programming including gross-out comedy Dirty Sanchez, a UK version of Total Request Live and new series such as Breaking Point and Blag helping to persuade viewers looking for an alternative to back-to-back videos to return to the channel.
mediaguardian
