Move over, guidos. The Russkies are coming!
A planned Russian-American reality show dubbed “Brighton Beach” aims to be a cross between “Jersey Shore” and “Anna Karenina.”
“We are big fans of ‘Jersey Shore,’ but the Russian community has its own set of characters which we think could be even more interesting,” said co-creator Elina Miller, who is working to find a network for the show.
“There will be plenty of vodka, techno music and guys wearing Adidas pants, leather jackets and gold chains, and driving souped-up cars,” she said. “There will also be a lot of hot, decked-out Russian girls.”
Hoping to be among them is Mya Erlikh, 22, a model who applied for a spot in the cast.
She said doesn’t expect to get in as many bar fights as “Jersey Shore’s” Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi.
“I think that women shouldn’t fight,” she said. “But I’ve been told that if you get hit first, you should finish it. S- -t happens.”
Several cable networks have expressed interest in the show, Miller said.
Miller’s partners, Alina Dizik and Christine Mahin, say they’re looking for colorful characters like Snooki and “Jersey Shore” co-star The Situation who know how to have a good time.
The cast does not need to be from Brooklyn’s Little Odessa, a k a Brighton Beach, but will spend two months living in a house there.
Despite being wildly popular, MTV’s “Jersey Shore” was criticized by Italian-Americans for spreading negative stereotypes through its embrace of the word “guido.”
Dizik says their show’s goal is to deal with Russian stereotypes head-on.
“We’re really proud of that identity,” the writer said. “But we would never want to portray this insular community in a way that isn’t positive. We’re used to everyone asking if we’re in the mafia and if we drink vodka and get chased by bears.”
Since the casting site brightonbeachshow.com went live last week, Dizik said, they’ve received hundreds of prospects.
“It would be really funny if we got a Russian mail-order bride,” she said.
Giving “Jersey Shore” a run for its money, they’ve already received a fair share of uniquely nicknamed applicants.
“We’ve heard from ‘The Entity,’ ‘B-Boy’ and ‘Mr. OTB’ [Off The Boat],” Dizik said.
Boris Kantarovich, 21, who works at a wireless store in Brighton Beach, was among those taking a shot at the limelight. He said he deserves it because he embodies the neighborhood.
“I’m crazy, I like to party, and when I’m drunk, I do a great impression of Boris Yeltsin,” he said.