As MTV winds down its third cycle of reality TV phenomenon Jersey Shore, it's hard to believe that it has only been 15 months since the show first introduced America to the wonders of gym, tanning and laundry.
The show has already turned into a lucrative franchise for MTV — and now regularly beats American Idol in the cable network's key demographic of 12-to-34-year-olds. As the show's cast and crew pack their bags for a Season 4 trip to Italy, here's a brief history of how we got to this point...
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