Way back a million years ago (2009), MTV filmed a show called Bridge & Tunnel, a reality program about two beautiful belles of Staten Island, New York City's island prison colony. But then, for mystifying reasons, MTV decided to not air the show.

They chose instead to go with Jersey Shore, the fatty-livered sweat stain of American pop culture, because, I guess... Well, I guess it was a little "crazier"? With its bright lights and studio house and costumed weirdos. But this Bridge & Tunnel seems, at least based on this preview clip that appeared on P*r*z Hilton a while back and is now resurfacing because of a big Village Voice cover story about the show, so much better. Because it's real! It's just two mookettes tottering around their poison island, living slightly amped-up versions of their own real lives. It doesn't seem synthetic in the way grime-candy Jersey Shore does.

I mean, remember the MTV True Life episodes about the people who rented houses down the Shore? Remember how great those were? They were great because people were in natural settings, ones they were comfortable in. The great disappointment of Jersey Shore was that it wasn't just a continuation of that. It was instead The Real World after The Real World had melted on the radiator a bit. Disappointing! But then here all along was this Bridge & Tunnel show, exactly what we were hoping for (the Shore people mixed with the amazing Staten Island True Life episode!), but MTV cruelly kept it from us. Sad, sad.

Anyway, the preview clip is above. Some may have seen it on P*r*z, but it's new to me. And boy do I wish it was a whole show. [VV]