Denver getting real on MTV

Story of 7 strangers living in LoDo makes its debut on Nov. 22

Erika Gonzalez, Rocky Mountain News

Thursday, October 19, 2006

Mark your calendars: The Mile High City is making its MTV debut.

The Real World Denver will premiere on the music video network Nov. 22, thrusting the city - or at least many of its bars - into the spotlight.

Airing Wednesdays at 8 p.m. MST, the series will chronicle the lives of seven strangers chosen to share a luxurious LoDo pad. Producers spent six weeks turning the former B-52 Billiards into an upscale abode for the group, complete with a swimming pool, basketball court and hot tub.

Despite those lavish digs, the roommates (who lived in Denver most of the summer) spent plenty of time outside the house, frequenting such hot spots as Jet, Hush and LoDo's Bar and Grill. They also worked for Outward Bound, a non-profit that offers wilderness adventure courses in Colorado.

But there were also restrictions on where the cast could venture.

"I really wanted to go to a concert at Red Rocks and I couldn't. And Coors Field was just up the street, but we weren't allowed to go there," lamented cast member Davis, a 23-year-old recent graduate of Stetson University in Deland, Fla.

Although a few cast members also complained about the unpredictability of Denver's weather, for the most part, the group said they enjoyed their time in Denver.

"I really enjoyed the people," said Brooke, a 24-year-old aspiring actress living in Los Angeles.

"They were extremely down to earth. They didn't have any pretense or superficiality like you find in L.A.," she said.

In addition to Davis and Brooke, other cast members include an Oakland Raiderette cheerleader and self-professed party girl, an Arizona State University swimmer, an ambitious Howard University student, a charming ladies' man from Omaha, and a sorority president who experienced the devastation of Hurricane Katrina as a student at Tulane University.

The group acknowledged that plenty of drama ensued during their filming, but dodged questions about whether romance blossomed as well.

"Let's put it this way," said Brooke. "I was the only person in the house who did not have sex."

Real World Denver

• Premiere: The first of 28 episodes airs Nov. 22 on MTV.

• Casting call: The Real World: Denver Casting Special debuts Nov. 8 on MTV.com. More footage will be available on Nov. 15.

A view on the experience

"Let's put it this way, I was the only person in the house who did not have sex."

Brooke, a 24-year-old aspiring actress now living in Los Angeles

gonzaleze@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5350