Reality TV producer SallyAnn Salsano isn’t surprised to see unscripted content thriving more than ever after paving the way for years.
Salsano, 50, who is behind some of the most iconic shows including Jersey Shore, Floribama Shore and more, is thrilled to see reality TV finally getting its due.
“Reality TV has just become TV. People that work in the industry try and separate it out but if you ask the fans what their favorite shows are, they could say The Bear, Jersey Shore. Survivor and Jeopardy. To them it’s just all TV,” Salsano exclusively told Us Weekly while reflecting on the reality TV landscape. “That’s been the biggest part of it — it’s just become normal to everyone as opposed to this guilty pleasure.”
After getting her start working behind the scenes on shows such as The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, Salsano launched her own company: 495 Productions. She has since developed a multitude of projects that created an example that other shows have since followed.
“I love the ability to put people around me that I enjoy and keep them around me. If you could decide every single day who you want to surround yourself with, you’re a pretty lucky person. And I’m pretty lucky,” she shared with Us. “Within the four walls of our company, there’s so many good people. We’ve all known each other for a long time and I think that the secret sauce is that everybody has a role and adds something and isn’t afraid to speak up.”
In addition to building Jersey Shore into the pop culture phenomenon that it is, Salsano has also been involved with A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila, Snooki & JWoww, The Real, Party Down South, Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party, Buckhead Shore, All Star Shore and many more.
Salsano is currently excited for viewers to see TBS’ Dinner and a Movie and BET’s Ms. Pat Settles It.
“[With] Ms. Pat Settles It, we just finished shooting season 2 and it was such a crazy fun experience. Having worked on court shows in the past, this takes the court genre to a whole new level. What happens when your judge is actually a comedian and an ex-con and is trying to settle things? The truth of the matter is she kind of settles it more like you would,” Salsano teased. “It’s just common sense and it’s really fun.”
She continued: “Dinner and a Movie is with Jason Biggs and Jenny Mollen and it kind of brings you back [to a fun Saturday night in]. Everyone used to party and rage on Saturday nights and now the world is so fast moving that most people enjoy a Saturday night at home.”
Despite spending her work days focused on unscripted content, Salsano is just as excited about the content in her free time, adding, “My hobby is also my job. Last night I was writing a script for a new pilot that we’re doing for Fox and I had to stop because The Real Housewives of Jersey Shore was starting and there was no chance I wasn’t going to watch that. ‘m a huge Sister Wives fan and Love Is Blind, Claim to Fame. I’m a Masked Singer viewer, I need to know who’s under the mask.”
Keep scrolling for Salsano’s answer to some of Us‘ burning questions about how reality TV shows are brought to life:
How Unscripted TV Differs From Scripted Content
While reflecting on her show’s success stories, Salsano praised the talent that made it stand out.
“I give every single person credit who goes out there and does it because it is tough. In reality TV, when someone criticizes you, it is personal,” she noted. “I can tell you it is not easy to get out there and be yourself. It’s not easy to forget that the cameras are around. I think for those people that can, I think that’s when the audience really relates the most.”
Salsano continued: “It just is what it is. But it’s hard to get a group of people and convince them to forget that you’re there. That’s not an easy task.”
Has Casting People Evolved Since Reality TV Shows Became an Entertainment Staple?
Salsano is all about doing her due diligence with casting.
“Some people make casting too easy. We tend to make ours long and very involved. You really have to want to do it,” Salsano explained. “We cast our shows a little bit differently. In today’s landscape, I would say it’s a more expensive process for the network. But as a production company, sometimes it’s worth [using] your own cash. You want to make sure that these people are who they say they are because quite frankly, anybody at this point could be great in a two minute reel.”
She continued, “Most people, because of everything on social media, know how they want to look on camera. It’s really just being able to find people that just don’t care and are themselves. I know that sounds like such a cliche, but there are still ways to do it. You have to kind of go the extra 10 miles.”
How Has Social Media Played a Role in TV Production?
“With casting, [social media] helps you get reach sometimes. That does work. But I also feel like regular word of mouth is how things are done the old fashioned way,” Salsano detailed. “[It’s] still how a lot of stuff just kind of takes off. It’s a combination now but I think you have to be careful. It could be just as much of a hindrance as it can be a help.”
What Are the Ways Producers Expect for the Unexpected While Filming?
Over the years, Salsano has learned some major lessons about how to work with talent.
“Making reality TV, you always have a plan. You’re always like, ‘Alright, this is what I think is going to happen. These are your moments.’ But I always say, ‘If you come back with exactly what you think is going to happen, your show’s likely not going to work.’ I’m really good with people and I’m super intuitive but if I can predict what everyone’s going to do so is the audience,” Salsano explained. “Part of what people like to watch is like, ‘Oh my God, I didn’t see that coming.’ So you need people that are fly by the seat of their pants by nature. As a producer, it makes your job much harder, but I think that it makes the shows better.”
Are There Any Secrets to Creating a Successful Reality TV Shows?
Salsano has found success with many of her reality TV projects — but she didn’t know immediately that they would take off the way they did.
“You have to give everything a fair shot: get in there and give it your all. And honestly so much of it is out of your control. How does your cast get along? How good are they in interviews? Is where you’re shooting a good place? How’s the weather where you’re shooting? I mean there’s a million things that can go sideways, but there’s also a million things that can line up,” she detailed. “There are times when a shoot is just going and you’re like, ‘This feels like it’s going too good.’ And you just try and stay the course and get stuff done.”
Salsano concluded: “For the most part, it is like luck of the draw and also being ready for everything. It’s harder to make a show work when you have a plan. And mostly our plan is to pivot at all times. Our plan is to go the other way.”
How Did ‘Jersey Shore’ Open Doors for Other Shows?
Jersey Shore, which aired on MTV from 2009 to 2012, following a group of friends living together in a beach house at the Jersey Shore. The show skyrocketed Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, Jenni “JWOWW” Farley, Paul “Pauly D” Delvecchio, Vinny Guadagnino, Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino and Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola‘s careers. It also inspired a lot of spinoffs such as Jersey Shore Family Vacation.
“All of us were super young and it all happened so fast. It was the first time in reality TV that a cast — not a show — but the actual cast themselves became a runaway train. It all happened so quickly that whether it be the network, us as a production company or the cast members themselves, no one had ever seen anything like it,” Salsano recalled. “It was great to come back after it all has died down.”
Salsano credited MTV for their belief in the project, adding, “[They] doubled down on this show. In the original run we had done, I think it was 71 episodes and six seasons. And now we are approaching 182 as far as episodes go on Jersey Shore Family Vacation. That’s a testament to leaning into who the people are and just following their everyday lives.”
During her interview with Us, Salsano said she wasn’t surprised how the cast blew up.
“A lot of us have grown up with them and so now we see ourselves in them. We all were doing dumb stuff that they were doing when they were kids. Just most of us didn’t have the guts to do it on camera or it wasn’t an option. Now they’re back still living their lives unapologetically but as parents, as friends as they have babies, getting divorces and more. … Instead of it being someone who wrote about their experiences — these guys are fearlessly kind of living their experience.”
What Do Fans Not Know About Reality TV?
“In the case of a lot of our shows, fans would be surprised about how real it is. Everyone likes to yell, ‘Oh this is scripted.’ I will tell you that there are days where my jaw is just on the ground,” Salsano noted. “And I’m like, ‘What in the hell? How do we get here?’ You just don’t know. You have a simple thing planned and it turns out everything goes sideways. I think people would be shocked at just how real it is.”
When Should Producers Break the 4th Wall?
For Salsano, there’s no specific rule about breaking the fourth wall — it’s all about instinct.
“We ride the wave. You step in when you think you should. You step in and it’s not always on TV. I think that sometimes it can be helpful and sometimes I think it shows when it’s not the plan because producers more or less step in when something’s not planned,” she said. “If something’s planned, you have a plan in place. But if things go completely sideways, you have to figure it out and get in front of it as it’s happening.”
Are There Any Guidelines Reality TV Stars Find Hard to Follow?
Some common guidelines for cast members show to show include not spoiling details before the airdate and not having access to a phone. According to Salsano, some of those expectations can be hard for reality stars to accept.
“Every cast struggles with it. Every cast fights you on it. They all absolutely hate it, kicking and screaming. Then about four days in they realize how relieved they are [to have a break from their phones],” she quipped. “They’re like, ‘Oh my God, it is so nice to just wake up and live your life and be in the moment.’ I think most of us don’t realize how tied to our phones and stuff we are.”
What Must All Producers Keep in Mind While Developing a Show?
“Never get comfortable and never think you have a handle on where your show is going. Because again, human beings change their mind all the time,” Salsano noted. “Those are the best shows. So I think the minute you get comfy, that’s when things actually start happening without you and the train leaves the station.”
How Do Reality TV Productions Protect Their Cast?
Salsano has always prioritized the safety of her cast, especially on dating shows.
“Your shows can’t be wild on screen if they’re not completely buttoned up behind the camera. I would say our protocols are probably stricter than most — especially on the wilder shows,” she explains. “There is a process that doesn’t take five minutes. It probably takes 45 minutes before people are actually able to join us [on set] and that kind of thing. And there are ways to streamline the process. … The people have to be willing to understand that there is a process. This is a TV show. It’s not just a free for all and we need to make sure everyone’s safe.”
Where Does Reality TV Go From Here?
“Right now it’s been a little bit of everyone soaring up. But I would say in the next five or 10 years, we’re going to continue to make shows. People still want TV. People want good TV. And what’s been proven is if a good show comes out, people will watch. But people also love a staple. People like a reboot and a comeback,” Salsano explained to Us. “I think people always thought like, ‘Oh, you can just bring a show back and it’ll be fine.’ It’s part of your responsibility in bringing a show back to think about what it was that people loved and how do you evolve it into something different and continuously evolve it. That’s something that is hard to do. But it’s probably the best and the smartest idea for chance of survival.”
